Delaware Memorial Bridge closed

[Boyd]

Wow. This should create problems for a lot of people....

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/del-closes-495-bridge-column-tilt-23967851

The 4,800-foot bridge normally carries about 90,000 vehicles a day on I-495, which diverts traffic around the city of Wilmington and toward the Port of Wilmington. The route parallels Interstate 95, which runs through downtown Wilmington and already is heavily congested during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

"You can't take 90,000 vehicles and just shift them onto 95 and not expect to have an impact," Bhatt said. "This is an important artery for the Northeast."

Officials cautioned it's not clear just how long the bridge will remain closed while the matter is resolved.

 

[Teegate]

The title of your post is incorrect. It is not the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

 

[Boyd]

Aha, you are right - my bad. It's the bridge over the Christina River on 495.

Still sounds like a lot of traffic problems, but not nearly so bad as a Delaware Memorial Bridge closing. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Old Crazy]

I just went over the Delaware Memorial Bride today. At $4 a car, there's no way they're going to close down that cash cow.

 

[kayak karl]

I-95 in Wilmington was a mess today

 

[Old Crazy]

I just went over the Delaware Memorial Bride today. At $4 a car, there's no way they're going to close down that cash cow.

Opps...that should read, "I just went over the Delaware Memorial Bridge today," not, "I just went over the Delaware Memorial Bride today."

 

[Gerania]

Opps...that should read, "I just went over the Delaware Memorial Bridge today," not, "I just went over the Delaware Memorial Bride today."

I liked the first one better.

 

[ecampbell]

 

[manumuskin]

Heading to WV here next week.I thought this would affect me.I thought it was the 95 crossing of Christina river down whwere 295 joins but it looks to be further north in Wilmington.

 

[kayak karl]

rt 95 just north of the delaware memorial (rt 13) and just south of the commando barry (rt202) is a mess every day

 

[manumuskin]

Love that beard karl.I want one just like it.Turned 50 a couple days ago and the color is coming

 

[MikeBickerson]

It's a disaster, I hope the string the contractor who did all that illegal dumping up by his toes. The in-laws are down that way, and traffic (which usually wasn't very good) is now really, really not good.

 

[Boyd]

I haven't followed this story. How is illegal dumping connected with the bridge closure? I thought that crooked support columns were the issue.

 

[MikeBickerson]

A contractor dumped 55,000 tons of dirt without permission at the base of the bridge. From what I heard on the radio, engineers suspect that this compressed the land on the one side of the supports and compromised them, causing them to tilt when they would not have otherwise.

Dug up an article:
Article

 

[Boyd]

Thanks. That's a big pile of dirt!