Inlet residents ask DelDOT for improvement

By Sam Harvey
Staff Reporter

Folks living along the south side of the Indian River Inlet are apparently feeling a little left out, what with all the roadwork taking place as part of the construction of the new Indian River Inlet Bridge.

Some of them are wondering, if they’re to be inconvenienced by daily detours and construction traffic, why they can’t get a little roadwork done on Road 50A (the road between Route 1 and the little cluster of communities south of the inlet).

The road floods with some regularity and has done so for years, and some of those residents are hoping the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) will go ahead and fix the problem while they’re in the neighborhood.

Their complaints about what DelDOT was planning, and not planning, to do with Road 50A made for a lively Indian River Inlet Bridge Construction Advisory meeting on March 14.

There was some disagreement, even among South Shore residents, as to whether or not a meeting about the inlet bridge project was really the place to air grievances about the flooding problem. But DelDOT’s Dave Duke did respond, attempting to assure those residents that Road 50A was indeed on the department’s radar screen.

“Those problems weren’t caused by the bridge, but DelDOT’s position is that it would be a good idea to resolve those issues on 50A,” he said. “It’s on the list of projects.

However, Duke admitted that he wasn’t sure where Road 50A ranked on the priority list. That elicited complaints that DelDOT was giving the north side all the attention, basically ignoring the south side, but Rep. Gerald Hocker, in attendance at the meeting, assured them that he and Sen. George Howard Bunting had spoken with DelDOT Secretary Carolann Wicks, petitioning for improvements on Road 50A.

Some of the same residents also revisited concerns about a proposed realignment, which would swing the roadway wide of the campground, northward.

That would bring it near the inlet itself, and residents reminded DelDOT officials that there would be blowing spray, and perhaps even overwash, every time a nor’easter came through.

Finding another alignment may be difficult — as DelDOT’s Dennis O’Shea pointed out, they would run afoul of wetland impacts if they tried to swing wide southward.

“If there’s no other way the road can go in, that’s the breaks,” one resident replied. “But it’s going to be a king-sized problem, and that will be after the project’s finished and it’s too late to do anything about it.”

O’Shea said the goal in moving the road from its present alignment was to slow traffic on what was basically a straightaway through the campground area.

But Hocker remained concerned and, after the meeting, he said he’d asked DelDOT representatives to reconsider. “It’s a bad mistake, putting (the road) right next to those rocks,” he said. “They did agree to look into it.

“We don’t need any more mistakes on this bridge,” Hocker said, referring to what he has called two years wasted in pursuit of an unrealistic design. Plans originally called for a “tied arch” bridge, but few contractors had any experience with building that kind of bridge.

Left with just one interested bidder, who appeared certain to blow engineers’ cost estimates, DelDOT eventually scrapped that bidding process, and is now pursuing a more traditional design. Engineers are anticipating something similar to the “cable-stayed,” Route 1 C & D Canal Bridge, but it will be the contractors’ choice.

One design element will be non-negotiable, though — contractors have to keep their feet out of the water.

Inlet currents have gouged deep holes along the bottom of the channel, around the existing piers. The system will eventually destabilize, if it isn’t replaced. And if it does destabilize, DelDOT will be forced to close the bridge — which would likely lead to statewide economic repercussions.

DelDOT’s budget shortfalls notwithstanding, the bridge project remains a top priority. The department is still shooting for completion in 2010.

On the finer points, Duke said he hoped to have Route 1 returned to dual highway status (two lanes, each way), with a pedestrian detour and a 5-foot shoulder for bicyclists, by early May. Responding to a question about the present lack of a bike lane, he offered the reminder that motorists and bicyclists would be sharing the road until that time.

But work is proceeding ahead of schedule, and he assured residents that the southern entrance to the South Shore marina would also be reopened by early May. As it stands, people have to take the long detour over the bridge, to Savages Ditch Road, make a U-turn and cross the bridge again, in order to access the marina (and Road 50A, and bayside neighborhoods).

“We might get it by the end of April, but just to be on the safe side, I’m going to say early May,” Duke said.