SANDY BEND RD Bridge 2-222A Virtual Workshop

WELCOME TO THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’S FIRST VIRTUAL WORKSHOP.  THE GOALS OF THE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP FORMAT ARE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR MORE PEOPLE TO VIEW THE PROJECT INFORMATION, AND TO ELIMINATE THE COSTS INVOLVED IN THE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC WORKSHOPS.

REPAIRS ARE NEEDED ON A BRIDGE LOCATED ON SANDY BEND ROAD WEST OF HARTLY AND JUST A FEW MILES EAST OF THE DELAWARE-MARYLAND LINE.  THE BRIDGE CROSSES THE TAPPAHANNA DITCH.  THE CURRENT STRUCTURE CONSISTS OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BEAMS WITH AN ASPHALT HOT-MIX RIDING SURFACE ON CONCRETE ABUTMENTS.

OVER TIME, THE BEAMS ON THE BRIDGE HAVE DETERIORATED SIGNIFICANTLY.  THERE IS EVIDENCE OF CRACKS, SPALLING OR BROKEN-OFF CHIPS OF CONCRETE, AND CORROSION OF THE REINFORCEMENT.  BUILT IN THE 1950S, THE EXISTING BRIDGE HAD A DESIGN LIFE SPAN OF APPROXIMATELY FIFTY-YEARS.  WHILE THERE IS NO CURRENT ISSUE OF SAFETY FOR NORMAL TRAFFIC, THE BEAMS HAVE REACHED THEIR SERVICE LIFE AND THE EXISTING SUPERSTRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.  REMEMBER, THE SUBSTRUCTURE OR SUPPORTS ARE IN GOOD CONDITION AND NEED ONLY MINOR CRACK REPAIRS.

AS SHOWN ON THE PLAN SHEET, DELDOT PROPOSES TO REPLACE THE PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BEAMS AND HOT MIX OVERLAY CURRENTLY IN PLACE WITH NEW CONCRETE BEAMS AND A CONCRETE RIDING SURFACE.  OTHER WORK WILL INCLUDE AN UPGRADE OF THE GUARDRAIL, RECONSTRUCTING THE ROADWAY APPROACH, AND PLACE RIPRAP – WHICH IS LARGE ROCKS – IN THE STREAM.  THE RIP RAP IS INTENDED TO PREVENT EROSION OF THE STREAMBED.  THE WORK SHOULD TAKE APPROXIMATELY SIXTY DAYS TO COMPLETE DURING THE FALL OF 2009.

IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THIS WORK, THE ROAD WILL HAVE TO BE CLOSED.  A SHORT DETOUR ROUTE IS PROPOSED TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE WHO USUALLY USE SANDY BEND ROAD AS A THROUGH ROAD.  ACCESS TO HOMES WILL BE MAINTAINED FROM EITHER END OF SANDY BEND ROAD.

THIS MAP SHOWS THE DETOUR ROUTE MORE CLEARLY.

COMING FROM PARKERS CHAPEL ROAD, TRAVELERS WILL MAKE A RIGHT TURN ONTO SANDY BAND ROAD, THEN A LEFT ONTO TAPPAHANNA BRIDGE ROAD, WHICH WILL TAKE THEM TO STATE ROUTE 8 – HALLTOWN ROAD.  TRAVELERS FROM SANDY BEND ROAD TO THE SOUTH WILL TURN RIGHT ONTO TAPPAHANNA BRIDGE ROAD.  FROM GUNTER ROAD TO THE NORTH, TRAVELERS WILL CROSS HALLTOWN ROAD AND FOLLOW TAPPAHANNA BRIDGE ROAD TO SANDY BEND ROAD.

WHILE DELDOT TRIES TO PERFORM AS MUCH OF THE WORK WITHIN EXISTING RIGHTS-OF-WAY AS POSSIBLE, THE NATURE OF THE WORK SOMETIMES REQUIRES A LARGER AREA, AND THAT IS THE CASE FOR THIS PROJECT.  AS SHOWN ON THE PLAN, MINOR EASEMENTS WILL BE NEEDED FROM ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS.  PERMANENT EASEMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE PLACEMENT OF RIP RAP IN AND AROUND THE STREAM.  THE RIP RAP WILL BE BURIED AND COVERED IN THE STREAM, OR WITH TOPSOIL, GRASS SEED AND MULCH ALONG THE STREAM BANKS.  TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION EASEMENTS WILL BE NEEDED BEYOND THE PERMANENT EASEMENTS FOR THE PLACEMENT OF SANDBAGS TO ALLOW FOR THE COMPLETION OF IN-STREAM WORK.  WHEN THE WORK IS COMPLETED, THESE AREAS WILL BE RESTORED TO THEIR NATURAL CONDITION.  THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS WHOSE PROPERTIES ARE AFFECTED BY THE PROJECT HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY DELDOT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION.

THE DESIGN PHASE OF THE PROJECT IS TO BE COMPLETE IN SPRING 2009.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENTS, YOU MAY SUBMIT THEM ONLINE BY CLICKING ON THE LINK, “SEND US YOUR COMMENTS”.  OR YOU MAY CALL TOLL FREE TO 800-652-5600, OR CALL LOCALLY 760-2080.  COMMENTS MAY ALSO BE MAILED TO DELDOT PUBLIC RELATIONS, P.O. BOX 778, DOVER, DELAWARE, 19903.  COMMENTS ARE DUE WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THE POSTING OF THIS VIRTUAL WORKSHOP ON THE INTERNET.

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’S FIRST VIRTUAL WORKSHOP.