April 26, 2007

Dover - Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Carolann Wicks issued the following statement regarding the current Indian River Inlet Bridge bid:

"DelDOT has completed the internal reviews of the Indian River Inlet Bridge project bid process. While the internal procedures for this project were open and based on professional standards, the 2006 Bond Bill provisions authorizing this design/build project are ambiguous. Such ambiguity renders it impossible to assess the legality of the process. To avoid protracted litigation, I believe the best approach is to set aside the bids and initiate a new process as quickly as possible. As Secretary of Transportation, I am keenly aware of the time constraints and scheduling demands that exist with this project but we are confident that with our immediate efforts to clarify the ambiguities in the statutes and continued diligence by the DelDOT project team, we will meet those challenges and develop an attainable and realistic schedule for this very important project."

For more information on the project go to www.deldot.gov.