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Wall to Protect Indian River Inlet Bridge from Erosion

blogs.deldot.gov

Delaware State officials are working on putting up a sheet pile wall around 740 feet long…along the northbound lanes of Route 1 and the northeast side of the Indian River Inlet Bridge.

The $1.4 million project is part an effort to deal with the beach erosion that has been occurring at a faster rate than usual at the approach to the roadway to the new bridge.

The Salisbury Daily Times reports that a tie-back system will be installed for the bridge with anchors that will extend behind the wall to help support it in an upright position.

Then the wall will be back-filled with sand so it will not be exposed.

Dan Brower, program manager for with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Shoreline & Waterway Management Section, said that the sheet pile wall serves as – what is being called – a last-ditch protection -- for the north side of the bridge. 

The area has been hit by a series of recent storms including Hurricane Sandy.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs 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.