Emergency Repairs On Delaware Memorial Bridge Result In Major Delays For Commuters
By David Madden
CARNEYS POINT, NJ (CBS) -- Taking the Delaware Memorial Bridge out of South Jersey? You might want to think twice about that, at least for the next few days.
A routine inspection on the southbound span uncovered a major problem.
"There's three suspension ropes that connect from the main cable to the road deck. They are right next to each other," Jim Salmon, spokesman for the Delaware River and Bay Authority, told KYW Newsradio. "They need to be replaced."
As a result, 40,000 daily drivers are affected.
"We have to move the traffic to the right so the weight is moved away from the area where those suspension ropes are so the work can be done," Salmon said.
Only one of the four lanes is getting through. It'll be like that until the ropes are repaired, a process Salmon says will take a few days. But he expects it should be complete by the weekend.
Pair that with the ongoing roadwork just past the tolls, and the Barry and Whitman bridges are your best alternatives to get around that.
A bit out of the way, perhaps. But nothing compared to the backups on 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike.