Drivers that take the Interstate 495 bridge through Wilmington, Del. — and there are about 90,000 of them each day — will have to find a new route for who knows how long, after engineers discovered four tilting pillars and shut down access.
Preliminary studies show that the ground beneath the pillars has shifted, causing the concrete shafts to lean to the side, The Associated Press reported.
But it’s not yet clear how difficult the tilt will be to fix. Engineers and workers are currently digging in the dirt and using high-tech sensors to see how deep the soil shift is, and how much effort and money it will take to realign the pillars, AP said.
The bypass where the bridge is located stretches 11 miles, and connects drivers from just south of Wilmington to the Pennsylvania line.
That whole portion of roadway has been closed indefinitely, and travelers now have to take the adjacent Interstate 95, which winds through downtown Wilmington — an already overburdened and crowded route, AP reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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