RT. 1 ROADWAY

The new traffic pattern in the vicinity of the Inlet will remain in place until construction of the new bridge is completed, currently expected to be in late 2010.

FRESH POND NORTH

Pond is complete and has an animal exclusion fence installed to protect vegetation from being damaged until sufficient growth can be established. Estimated removal is December 2007.

FRESH PONDS SOUTH

WEST

Pond is complete except for final seeding which needs to be done in the specified planting window (April-May). An as-built has been completed by the contractor for review by the Army Corps of Engineers.

EAST

Pond is incomplete until material used as the bridge approach surcharge can be removed and placed into the existing pond to construct the pond per plan. The area completed (+/- 75%) has been surveyed and temporarily seeded until completion can occur (estimated May 2007).

FRESH POND SOUTH BRIDGE

The bridge has been constructed and paved and is considered complete except for the corresponding guardrail that needs to be installed which is estimated to be done on September 11, 2006. The temporary roadway has been removed and the new tidal gut has also been excavated to join mitigation sites.

ROADWAY APPROACHES

SOUTH

This approach is currently at an elevation of 25.5’ with continued progress of constructing the MSE walls and soil embankment to a final elevation of 43.2’. The surcharge material will take the embankment to elevation 51.0’ to aid in quicker settlement times and is estimated to be completed late fall of 2006. The anticipated amount of settlement is to be completed around May of 2007 when removal of the surcharge, construction of the drainage system and concrete MSE walls can be started.

NORTH

This approach is currently at an elevation of 30.5’ with continued progress of constructing the MSE walls and soil embankment to a final elevation of 43.2’. The surcharge material will take the embankment to elevation 51.0’ to aid in quicker settlement times and is estimated to be completed late fall of 2006. The anticipated amount of settlement is to be completed around May of 2007 when removal of the surcharge, construction of the drainage system and concrete MSE walls can be started.

BRIDGE CONTRACT

By August 16th, 2006, the Department had received Statements of Qualifications (SOQ’s) from prospective Design-Build teams. The Department is currently reviewing the qualifications of each submitter. A "Short List", including up to 3 teams, will be determined and announced shortly. The short-listed teams will be invited to respond to a formal Request For Proposals (RFP) package later this month. Final Proposals are scheduled to be submitted by the end of January 2007 with award of the contract occurring by early Spring 2007. The start of bridge construction activities will be dependant on the successful Design-Builder’s proposal, but is expected to occur within the next year. The required completion date for the bridge remains September 30, 2010 at which time the first traffic is expected to be on the new bridge.

ROAD 50A IMPROVEMENTS

Soil boring fieldwork has been completed along the existing roadway. Initial lab analysis has confirmed the roadway is situated on a very soft thick clay layer, like the new SR-1 roadway approaches. These soils do not allow for simple, safe, and durable retaining structures to be constructed along Road 50A while the permitting and mitigation that would be associated with wetland impacts created from substantial fill placement (>1 foot) would be a very time consuming and costly.

In order to provide more immediate relief to the flooding problems, the Department has identified with assistance from residents from South Shore Marinas, approximate limits for the two lowest lying areas along Road 50A. The Department will be looking to provide a more uniform roadway elevation along Road 50A that is more consistent with its highest points as well as the privately maintained roadway within South Shore Marinas. This will most likely be accomplished by placing multiple layers of hot-mix within the low areas. The Department's design staff is currently preparing cost estimates and will be requesting funding to perform the work. The funding availability will determine when the work can be performed. The order of priority for correcting the problem areas will be to address the lowest elevations first. Funding availability and time frames to complete the work should be better known by the next progress meeting in September.

OCEAN RIDGE WEST / FRESH POND ACCESS ROAD

DNREC has developed some preliminary plans for landscaping and bollards to separate the public on the fresh pond north access road from the community. A meeting was held after the public update on July 11, 2006 to discuss the proposed plan. Sharon Mahony (resident) was onsite to view the plan and will take it back to the community’s board to see if this is sufficient. If acceptable a tentative planting time of fall 2006 could take place installing the native plants by DNREC.

Maps of the Indian River Inlet Bridge pedestrian access and cyclist routes are now available at www.irib.deldot.gov. Hard copy maps are available at the Indian River Life Saving Station/DNREC Park Offices located on northbound Route 1, one mile north of the Indian River Bridge. Those interested may also obtain the maps from the DelDOT Public Relations Office located in the Department administration building at 800 Bay Road, in Dover. The maps feature the available parking and camping areas, the pedestrian detour, fishing access areas, and the bicycle route.

The Indian River Inlet Bridge Project Web site, www.irib.deldot.gov will be updated throughout the Project construction with progress information and construction pictures. A July construction update will be posted on the Project Web site and also emailed and mailed to those on the construction update list prior to the July 11 meeting. For any questions or comments, call DelDOT Public Relations, 302-760-2080, or toll free, 1-800-652-5600.

The next public meeting will be held on September 12, 2006 at 9:00AM in the IRIB construction field trailer across from the Coast Guard station.