DelDOT outlines 10‑week plan to contain and repaint Seaford drawbridge; pedestrian access, shuttle service to continue

Jonathan Moore, a supervising engineer with the Delaware Department of Transportation, told the Seaford Mayor and Council that a planned containment-and-painting project for Front Street drawbridge (Bridge 3‑151) will run about 10 weeks for the drawbridge alone and require temporary full closures to vehicular and boating traffic.

Moore said the project responds to “active corrosion” found during routine inspections and that the bridge is not currently structurally unsound, but corrosion must be arrested to prevent future structural problems. “The bridge will remain open to pedestrian traffic during this operation,” Moore said, adding that at least one sidewalk will be open at all times and that a free ADA‑compliant shuttle will run when the lift span must be opened for access to some parts of the structure.

The bridge is 99 years old and is the oldest of eight operational drawbridges in Delaware, Moore said. The last full paint was applied in 1992; the structure carries more than 8,000 vehicles per day and shows areas of advancing corrosion on load‑carrying members, he said. The planned work sequence includes installing a containment tent, abrasive (steel‑shot) surface preparation with large vacuum filtration, a three‑coat protective paint system (zinc primer, epoxy midcoat, polyurethane topcoat) and concrete cleaning and coating where needed.

Moore emphasized the purpose of containment: to prevent release of lead and other hazardous coatings and to protect nearby properties from overspray. He described the containment as a large tent with filtration and vacuum systems that will recover media and particulates. Because the structure uses a steel grid deck and many members underneath must be blasted and recoated, “there’s no way to allow traffic to drive over that and still contain the steel shot and the painting system that we’ll be using,” Moore said.

To reduce conflicts with school bus routing, the contract requires that a second nearby Poplar Street bridge (Three‑256) on the same contract not be under detour at the same time; the two projects will run consecutively when possible. When the lift span must be opened to access over‑counterweight areas, the contractor must provide the ADA shuttle and limit the maximum rider wait to 15 minutes, Moore said. Those shuttle operations are planned between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. to reduce pedestrian impacts; at 5 a.m. the bridge must be restored for pedestrian use.

Moore said the work window in the contract is Oct. 1–April 30, and the 10‑week duration is weather dependent. He noted that painting operations generally cannot be done during heavy rain or cold conditions, and that artificial climate control will be used inside containment when needed. He also said the contractor must comply with U.S. Coast Guard coordination requirements for navigation lighting and notifications while the bridge is closed to large vessels; small boats may use the outer spans where feasible.

Council members asked about noise and the effect on nearby apartments. Moore said the blasting equipment is loud—“it sounds like large shop vacs”—but the portion that requires bridge opening (the loudest work at night) would affect a small area for only a few days. He said the city and contractor will coordinate detours and police enforcement during closures.

Moore provided his contact information and said DelDOT will coordinate closely with Seaford public safety and school officials as schedules and contract milestones are finalized.

The council did not take formal action on the project during the meeting; Moore presented the design and construction plan and answered questions.