DelDOT to close lanes on I-495, Del. 1 next week

Bridge repairs and inspections will close lanes on two of Delaware's principal expressways during the upcoming week – the final days the state has available for road work before beach season brings thousands of additional vehicles to area highways.

On Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., officials from the Delaware Department of Transportation and Rutgers University will inspect components on the Del. 1 bridge over Red Lion Creek, near Bear.

Half of the northbound bridge will be closed at a given time, leaving one lane open on the segment of the state's primary artery.

"At any time, there's going to be one lane and one shoulder closed," DelDOT spokesman Bud Freel said. 

The National Bridge Inspection Standards set by the U.S. Department of Transportation mandate that all publicly-owned highway bridges longer than 20 feet be inspected for deficiencies at regular intervals. 

DelDOT is working with the team from Rutgers as part of the Long-Term Bridge Performance Partnership, a federal program that is gathering and analyzing bridge data to find ways to make spans more durable and longer-lived. 

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Separate from the Del. 1 project, DelDOT contractors will close two northbound lanes on the I-495 bridge over the Christina River from Monday evening until Wednesday afternoon. The closures, which will occur nights and mornings from 7 p.m. to 3 p.m., will allow crews from Eastern Highway Specialists to repair the deck of the span.

One lane will remain open during the work. All lanes will reopen Wednesday afternoon.

DelDOT officials expect major delays on the interstate and encourage drivers to use I-95 or other alternate routes. 

Message Boards will be placed in advance of the closure between Del. 9 and East 12th Street.  Drivers should use caution and slow down when passing through work zones.

Contact Karl Baker atkbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.