Work begins soon to replace the Fenwick Island Bridge.
The nearly 70-year-old bridge is the fifth most deficient bridge in the state according to DelDOT.
The main issue is the bridge pylons - which are in the water - eroding over time.
It’s a multi-phase project building half of the new bridge to shift traffic to that while tearing down the old half and replacing that.
The bridge will always be open with some single-lane closures possible at night or overnight.
"It's going to be a lengthy project because of the way that we're doing, it's really a try and minimize traffic impacts as much as possible. And, ultimately what we're going to end up with is just a modern and wider bridge, serving Route 54 and the communities in the area," said C.R. McLeod, DelDOT’s director of community relations.
The wider bridge won’t mean extra lanes for travel. It will remain single-lane in each direction.
"What it's also going to have, though, on both sides are dedicated bike lanes and pedestrian walkways,” said McLeod. “It's also going to have a middle lane, which is really going to be utilized for emergency services."
The project will take place over the course of three years with completion scheduled for 2028.
Most of the work will be done in the fall and winter to mitigate traffic concerns during the busy summer season.
