Indian River – The Department of Transportation and Skanska USA Civil Southeast, Inc. (Skanska) announce that 1,196 votes were cast over the last two weeks for three aesthetic design features proposed for the new Indian River Inlet Bridge. There were three options for each of the respective design features. The aesthetic design feature options which received the most votes, and have therefore been selected follow:
• Color of the Cable Stays: Blue (827 votes, 69.9% )
• Top of the Pylons: Slanted Top With Railing (504 votes, 43.2%)
• Lighting Fixture for Pedestrian Walkway: Nautical (762 votes, 64.6%)
These selections will be incorporated into the bridge design, which is currently about 60% complete.
Comments from voters and workshop attendees were generally favorable toward the overall cable stay design of the new bridge. To quote one voter, “This bridge is awesome.”
Bridge Construction Update
As for onsite construction, Skanska is nearing the completion of its test pile program which began in late 2008. All but three of the 28 test piles will become part of the final bridge structure. Of the total 291 concrete piles slated to support the bridge, 142 will go on the north side, and 149 will go on the southside. To date, 75 concrete piles have been delivered to the site. Concrete pile work will continue until early July. In addition, steel sheet piles are currently being driven on the south side to support bridge excavation activities. During July and August work will be underway on the pylon tower system. Additional temporary piles will be installed onsite as part of the system that will be constructed to support portions of the bridge over land until the cable stay supports are installed. Skanska and DelDOT are happy to report that the project is on schedule and on budget.
Traffic Impacts and Updates
In preparation for the busy summer travel season, DelDOT has posted a Traffic Updates section on the Indian River Inlet Bridge Web page. Although minimal traffic impacts are expected, as material deliveries, bridge construction and visitors come to the site, information regarding potential impacts will be communicated to the public. Motorists are encouraged to visit the Web site to obtain traffic updates and view Live Traffic Cameras before heading to the vicinity of the bridge. As always, safety is paramount, therefore DelDOT and Skanska will minimize any inconvenience to the driving public.
DelDOT cautions motorists who travel in and around the existing Indian River Inlet Bridge to lower their speed to 35 mph through the construction work zone. As activity around the bridge increases, motorists should stay focused on the road and not become distracted by the construction activity.
General project information can be found online at www.irib.deldot.gov. If you have further questions about the bridge, please contact DelDOT’s Office of Public Relations at 1-800-652-5600.
