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U.S. Transportation Secretary Visits Closed I-495 Bridge

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WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is getting a look at an interstate bridge in Delaware that is closed because of damage to several supporting columns.

State officials ordered the emergency closure of the I-495 bridge over the Christina River in Wilmington on June 2 after discovering that the columns were tilting. Foxx was to tour the site Friday afternoon.

Engineers believe that a massive dirt mound dumped next to the bridge may have caused underground soils to shift, damaging nearby columns.

Federal officials already have made $2 million in emergency funding available to the state, and federal taxpayers will pay most of the repair costs, which are expected to total at least $20 million.

State officials are hoping to have the bridge at least partially reopened by Labor Day.

Other Bridges

DOVER, Del. (AP) - State officials say vehicles and materials found stored under several major bridges in Delaware after the emergency closure of an interstate bridge did not pose any threats to safety.

Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt ordered the review after engineers determined that a massive dirt mound dumped next to the I-495 bridge over the Christina River in Wilmington may have caused underground soils to move, resulting in damage to several bridge columns.

A review of 29 other major bridges found that 14 had dirt, materials or vehicles stored underneath or within 100 feet of them.

But officials said Thursday that they don't believe anything they found under those bridges presented a safety issue.

Engineers are working on a $20 million plan to reopen the I-495 bridge by Labor Day.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.