Town says DelDOT crews will mobilize to reopen boardwalk crossovers; elevated Walche boardwalk deferred after high cost estimate

At the start of the meeting the mayor told the council DelDOT had scheduled crews to mobilize on Monday and expected to reopen portions of the boardwalk: “they will have equipment here at 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning mobilizing and that they should get at least three of the cross overs open by the Thanksgiving holiday,” the mayor said.

Council members were told the work will be a remedial sand-harvesting operation rather than a full beach replenishment, with sand taken from the beach and surf and some dune work as the contractors deem necessary. The mayor emphasized federal funding for full renourishment remains uncertain and described this action as a short-term repair.

Town manager Cliff Gravier updated the council on several infrastructure projects and said a previously discussed elevated boardwalk through the Walche property — proposed as an environmentally friendly path — now carries a much higher price tag than earlier estimates. “The preliminary estimate for the construction of that path would be $2.1 million,” he said, and council members agreed to move the project well back in priority given other town needs and the cost.

Gravier also reported progress on sidewalk extensions, work at the Bethany land spit where a retaining wall redesign could save trees, ongoing DelDOT coordination on Route 26 pedestrian islands and intersection improvements, and engineering recommendations to replace a deteriorating bulkhead under the boardwalk with a manufactured stabilized earth wall. Council did not take additional action on these items at the meeting; several projects await final DelDOT contracts or permits before work can proceed.