Crews to close I-95 exit for Del. 896
Crews are planning to close the ramp from northbound I-95 to northbound Del. 896/South College Avenue near Newark for several weeks, starting at 7 a.m. Friday, officials said.
The closure is expected to last through the holidays until mid-January, pending weather, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation.
A state contractor, Mumford and Miller Concrete, has been repairing the two bridges carrying Del. 896 over I-95. The work includes repairing bearings, replacing expansion seals and joints; cleaning and painting steel beams; replacing the concrete deck, barriers and guardrails; and repairing spalls in the concrete.
The ramp will be closed 24/7 for the reconstruction of the left lane of the 896 north bridge, and will remain closed for the reconstruction of the 896 south bridge,” DelDOT engineer Barry C. Beckett said by email.
Motorists will be directed to detour by staying on northbound I-95 to Exit 3 for westbound Del. 273, crossing over I-95, taking the ramp on the right to southbound I-95; and getting off at Exit 1 for northbound Del. 896.
Right lane on Route 896 (South College Avenue) will be closed as work proceeds behind the barrier wall. The project remains in Phase 1B, with a single lane of traffic. Work will include the installation of strip seals in the expansion dams, installation of guardrail, and striping for new temporary lane alignment.
This week, workers will be removing protective shielding from the bridge, requiring double-lane closures overnight on northbound and southbound I-95 approaching Exit 1 for Del. 896. The hours are 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly Tuesday through Thursday.
On Friday, crews plan to relocate the barrier wall along northbound Del. 896 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., switching the single open lane on the bridge from the left side of the road to the right.
Other restrictions in the area include the closure of shoulders of I-95 under the bridge for pier repairs.
Contact Melissa Nann Burke at (302) 324-2329, mburke@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @nannburke.