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Portion of Rt 113 over Iron Branch Bridge to close this fall

Delaware Public Media
DelDOT plans to shut down a portion of a century-old bridge in Sussex County this October.

A planned bridge rehabilitation project in Millsboro is expected to tie up traffic for two weeks this fall.

 

Work on the Iron Branch Bridge along Route 113 is slated to begin in October.

 "Basically we have a portion of the bridge - it was kind of constructed as portions of Route 113 was expanded. So the bridge itself right now is several different ages,” said Nicholas Dean, project manager for bridge design for Delaware’s Department of Transportation (DelDOT).

He says portions of the southbound side of the bridge built in 1946 and 1915 need to be replaced. But the northbound side - built in 1965 - is still in good condition.

 

“What we’re going to do is basically cut the bridge at the 1965 portion, leave that portion in place and remove the rest," said Dean. "Then we’ll add a new concrete rigid frame and  attach it to the old portion.”

Dean says Middletown-based construction firm Mumford & Miller is doing the work at a cost of $1.2 million.

The exact date of the closure will be announced closer to the start of the project.  

 

Dean notes detour signs will be posted for area motorists.

 

He says most traffic will get off Route 113 southbound just north of the bridge at Radish Road, onto Hickory Hill Road then on to Handy Road and then back on to Route 113 - south of the bridge. Trucks will use Route 24 to Route 30 to Route 26.

 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.