Indian River Inlet Bridge Project Flushes Millions Down The Toilet
October 26th, 2007 by Maria Evans
The South Side approach as well as the North Side approach to the alleged new Indian River Inlet Bridge have to be taken down.
I wrote about the obvious problems with the approaches to the new Indian River Inlet Bridge project just last week, and here we are, 10 days later, learning that a lot of what DelDot had to say about the issue was…well…I’ll be nice and say “inaccurate.”
Here’s what Darrel Cole from DelDot had to say about the approaches when I spoke with him 10 days ago:
I spoke with Darrel Cole from Deldot and he explained that judging how much settling will occur during a project like this is an “inexact science,†and that there is certainly a “settlement issue†with both the approach and the road running next to it. On October 22, work will begin to level the road, but the question is, when will work begin on the new bridge?
According to Cole, the state expects to announce the new bidding process for the project “within a month,†and the contract to be awarded “within a year.†Construction on the new bridge should begin shortly after that. And to answer a question that has been posed on the air a few times, whatever bridge ends up being built should work just fine with the new approaches. *Whew!*
So last week the bridge approaches were just “settling” (For the record I used the word “sinking” with Cole and he took pains to correct my wording to “settling”), and this week we’re being told they have to come down:
The massive dirt ramps built as approaches for the new Indian River Inlet Bridge took more than a year to build, but soon most of the material making up the ramps will be removed….
The embankments are drifting and leaning toward the west, according to a Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) document.
The approaches are “leaning toward the west.” Other than the article we had here on the blog last week by a non engineer or road expert whose expertise in bridge approaches can be summed up in the word “SQUAT,” who could have ever imagined that there was a problem?
So now we have $20 million wasted, and who knows how much more it will cost to tear down the approaches and fix the surrounding park land.
Meanwhile, the people who use the facilities at the Inlet have lost access to Haven Road and the good North Side parking lot (which makes the walk to the North Side beach a total bummer), the people who drive over the Inlet will get to enjoy the world’s most expensive speed trap indefinitely while simultaneously experiencing the thrill of wondering if the old bridge will last until they get to the other side, and Delaware taxpayers are once again bent over.
UPDATE: DelDot held a press conference at the Indian River Inlet Bridge today and here’s the press release in PDF form. Some highlights:
Due to the types of underground soils in this area, settlement was required in advance before the roadway was opened. Projects with such geotechnical issues can be difficult to predict even though estimates are based on soil samples from the site. As of August, approximately 60 percent of the settlement of underground soils had been achieved. DelDOT estimates it could take an additional seven years to achieve the desired 95 percent settlement. As a result, we have the following issues:
* Current settlement of the underground soils has exceeded original predictions. Additional fill would be needed to achieve the correct grade for the approaches to meet the proposed bridge elevation.
* Roadway embankments are shifting and leaning toward the west, and it has been difficult to estimate the magnitude of this problem.
* As result of the weight of the embankments and their unexpected westerly shifting, nearby roads have been impacted, requiring Route 1 pavement repairs and Road 50A reconstruction.
* Bridge construction would be delayed until the problems with the settlement are resolved.
These issues of settlement were expected but not to the degree we are seeing now.
So the approaches, in their current form, would be “settling” for the next seven years. Whoops.
Here’s DelDot’s Q & A pdf, and here’s a highlight:
Yes. The need for replacing the bridge is due to the severe scouring in the Inlet adjacent to the bridge substructure that has taken place over the decades. The velocity of current in the inlet is very high and unique. However, the existing bridge is in no immediate danger of failing, and in fact it is the most monitored bridge in the state.
The bridge deck is made up of five spans of steel girder beams, each approximately 250 feet long. This is considered a redundant system (not fracture-critical), meaning that if one span failed, other spans would be able to carry the load allowing the bridge to remain standing. In the department’s most recent bridge inspection (August 2007), the deck and superstructure are rated in fair and satisfactory condition. More significantly, our yearly (most recently took place September 2007) dive inspection of piers under the water show the piers are stable, that the rip-rap placed in 1989 is intact.
And that is from the same people who told us that whatever bridge design was chosen would work just fine with the existing approaches.
October 26th, 2007 at 11:13 am
rofl
October 26th, 2007 at 11:22 am
PRESS RELEASE — OCTOBER 18, 2004
State And County Officials Break Ground For New Indian River Inlet Bridge
Indian River — Governor Ruth Ann Minner, Lt. Governor John C. Carney Jr., United States Rep. Mike Castle, Secretary of State Harriet Smith Windsor, DelDOT Secretary Nathan Hayward III, DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes, State Senator George Bunting and Sussex County Administrator Bob Stickels joined Saturday evening with nearly 800 community members for a celebration marking the start of the new Indian River Inlet Bridge Construction Project.
“This is a landmark day for the people of Sussex County as well as the entire state of Delaware,” said Governor Minner. “Due to severe tidal conditions experienced in the area, the present bridge will soon be no longer able to facilitate the 13,000 to 18,000 vehicles that transit it daily. However, I insisted that any plans for a replacement bridge must address more than its transportation needs. It is essential that the bridge fit in an as integral part of the wonderful Delaware Seashore State Park and the revitalization plans for the park. This bridge should truly be reflective of the community’s vision and stand as a fine example of how our state agencies work together for the benefit of all our citizens.”
lol
October 26th, 2007 at 11:35 am
I don’t understand why they can’t remove soil from underneath the east side. They did it to correct settlement with the Leaning Tower of Piza. I think words are getting thrown around before the have thrown around all engineering options. Settlement is an inexact science. Building on a wetland doesn’t help by any means.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
BCCI-funny. I was reading that press release earlier today. I just can’t stop shaking my head.
October 26th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Oh where to start about this fiasco? I own the DVD that touts the incredible bridge that was going to withstand the 200 mile per hour wind (the bridge would be the only thing left standing). I have been to the catered events that “unveiled†the incredible, unobtrusive, environmentally friendly bridge (perk of being on the Citizen Committee). So much money spent. Now we are left with two sinking eyesores (obstruct my view of the bay) that have to be removed. I was thinking….since I only got $150 for my classroom budget this year….can I show the DVD as part of my science curriculum? It does talk about Wind Tunnels!
October 26th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
What is this…”saving face”?? First they show us a beautiful bridge to replace the current then that was an “oops”. Now $20m has been chucked away on what? “Sandcastles in the air”? And now more than another year before anything substantial…including safety…can even start to be a reality? Talk about lunatics running the asylum….
October 26th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Maybe the settling has something to do with the rain, and as Mr. Colley so eloquently stated yesterday “And you know, when it rains it gets very damp…” I see a future for him at The Weather Channel.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
That would be a wonderful place for him, RonR. I wonder how he would communicate with those beautiful, very intelligent women who would be his co-workers. Should be verrrrrry interesting to say the least.
October 26th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
OVDE: You might want to hang on to that DVD, sounds like a future colectors item for eBay. Maybe they could also use it as background material for a John Stosel sort of program on government waste.
But, point of information here: Didn’t this fiasco start before Minner took office?
I remember going over there before any of the construction started and seeing a fancy large “plaque” sign extolling the wonders of the new bridge. It looked like it (the sign) had been there a while. I remember thinking how much it looked like the Golden Gate bridge and wondered why in the world anyone would want to use such a design on such a short span. I even remember telling a friend or two that I would soon have a tourist attraction nearby and hoped that one wouldn’t have to pay just to see the thing and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
I’m still quite certain that the vast majority of government waste takes place at the federal level where I witnessed it first-hand and where the only ones allowed to investigate are agency’s “Inspector General” (reminding me of the Dany Kaye movie for various reasons). But this certainly will stand out as an example of same at the state level. It would be so nice to see at least a few head roll over it. But I won’t hold my breath.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:13 am
“… It is essential that the bridge fit in an as integral part of the wonderful Delaware Seashore State Park and the revitalization plans for the park. This bridge should truly be reflective of the community’s vision and stand as a fine example of how our state agencies work together for the benefit of all our citizens.â€
I can’t help but wonder whether or not DelDot will continue to compensate the state park for their loss of camping revenue caused by this overreaching debacle, or if they will leave them (and us, the taxpayers) flapping in the wind as well.
October 27th, 2007 at 1:49 am
EVERYBODY SING!!!
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, Falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
Take a key and lock her up,
Lock her up, Lock her up.
Take a key and lock her up,
My fair lady.
How will we build it up,
Build it up, Build it up?
How will we build it up,
My fair lady?
Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, Silver and gold.
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair lady.
Gold and silver I have none,
I have none, I have none.
Gold and silver I have none,
My fair lady.
Build it up with needles and pins,
Needles and pins, Needles and pins.
Build it up with needles and pins,
My fair lady.
Pins and needles bend and break,
Bend and break, Bend and break.
Pins and needles bend and break,
My fair lady.
Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, Wood and clay.
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair lady.
Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, Wash away.
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair lady.
Build it up with stone so strong,
Stone so strong, Stone so strong.
Build it up with stone so strong,
My fair lady.
Stone so strong will last so long,
Last so long, Last so long.
Stone so strong will last so long,
My fair lady.
October 28th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
I just happened to think about DelDot’s report that the bridge is in “no immediate danger of failing”. How in the world are we supposed to trust that statement when it coming from them?????? And as far as it being the “most monitored bridge in the state”–they can have it monitored 24/7, but if it is ready to fall, it will do just that, with all the monitors watching it do so!!!!
October 29th, 2007 at 8:10 am
The monitors will help record the collapse and make it far easier to be submitted to YouTube.
January 17th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
[...] And does Burris possess the leadership our beloved Delaware needs so desperately right now? I can only hope that someone does because we’re knee deep in stuff like a General ASSembly that can’t remember it’s own legislation, an old bridge debacle sitting next to a new bridge debacle, environmental concerns, and development issues, (I had to stop there before I developed the carpal tunnel syndrome). [...]
June 10th, 2008 at 8:12 am
[...] enjoyed my time at WGMD, they gave me an incredible opportunity, and I’ve certainly enjoyed hammering away at DelDOT and [...]
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 am
[...] for the benefit of all our citizens,” has poured tens of millions of dollars into one of the biggest fiascos in state [...]