Indian River Inlet Bridge Southside Form Traveler Lowered And Removed

Indian River -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announces that the south side form traveler was successfully removed from the Indian River Inlet Bridge on Friday, October 28, 2011. The form traveler was a piece of equipment that was partially suspended beneath the new bridge and was used to build the bridge deck portions over the inlet. The bridge deck is now completely formed and the form traveler is no longer needed for construction. Removal of the south side form traveler represents a significant milestone for this project.

Since the final bridge deck concrete closure pour occurred on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, preparations have been underway for the final lowering and removal of the south side traveler. On Friday, around 7:00 p.m. the traveler was lowered and placed on a barge. The lowering required the temporary closure of the entire Indian River Inlet waterway to allow for the safe removal of the 300 ton form system. This activity was closely coordinated with and assisted by the United States Coast Guard.

The operation went as planned, and the south side form traveler has been shipped offsite to Norfolk, Virginia. The form traveler will be recycled, as it was designed specifically for the Indian River Inlet Bridge project and cannot be used on any other construction project.

Two lanes of the bridge are expected to be opened to traffic in late December 2011/early 2012. All four lanes will be opened to traffic in spring 2012, once the Roadway Approach/Demolition contract has been completed.