St. Georges bridge, 82 year-old half-moon shaped bridge that carries Route 13 across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, is set to close on April 4th, 2023 for a major repair project.
Those repairs will include improvements to the structural condition and traveling surface of the bridge.
Steve Rochette is with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District, who own and operate the bridge. He says it’s important to stay on top of the bridge’s maintenance and repairs, but it’s difficult to do so without having to shut it down.
“We’re going to be replacing the entire bridge decking. So that’s the whole traveling surface and the area underneath it, which include joints, drainage features, and other parts of the bridge,” Rochette explained. “So that’s a major repair project, and we’ll be closing the bridge for 18 months as it progresses.”
During those 18 months traffic will be detoured to the Senator Roth Route 1 Bridge, which sits beside St. Georges bridge on the canal.
The Army Corps will be working with DelDOT, and state and local authorities to help ease the transition.
“We do know there are some impacts, and we’ll work to communicate updates as the project progresses,” said Rochette.
The $45.8 million project is funded by the federal government through Energy and Water appropriations.