Photo courtesy of DelDOT
The construction project will create high speed movement and better merge points for I-95 and SR 896.
In northern Delaware, I-95 and State Road 896 carry heavy traffic. The cloverleaves at this intersection are a bottleneck, slowing traffic and causing some safety concerns.
Traffic planners at the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) decided to replace cloverleaves with flyovers and redesigned bridges. DelDOT believes the changes will allow for smoother traffic flow for the nearby cities of Newark, home to the University of Delaware, and Glasgow.
Photo courtesy of DelDOT
The interstate is an important highway that carries traffic north to Wilmington, the state's largest city, and on to Philadelphia, New York and Boston. The average daily traffic on I-95 is approximately 130,000 with 50,000 vehicles using SR 896 daily.
DelDOT has selected Wagman Heavy Civil of York, Pa., as the lead contractor on the project. The work is slated to cost approximately $220 million and be completed in 2025. The project is about 25 percent finished.
"The construction will focus on two flyovers over I-95 and two over SR 896," said Evan Brodsky of DelDOT. "The construction team will be completely rebuilding some of the bridges as well. The ramps will be reconfigured which will also aid in making smoother traffic."
This construction fits with DelDOT's emphasis on improving safety and traffic flow of roadways throughout the state.
Brodsky noted that the team is not only concerned with vehicular traffic but also is considering pedestrians.
"The team will be connecting the pedestrian routes in Newark and Glasgow. A pedestrian pathway — separated from the vehicular traffic — will be attached to one of the new flyover bridges spanning I-95."
Wagman Team
Brandon Zerilla of Wagman is leading the construction team on the project. The work will encompass six brand-new bridges, rehabilitating 12 structures and 10 new mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls. All the panels on the MSE walls will receive an architectural treatment and some of the walls that will be stained face the historic Cooch's Bridge Battlefield.
"The work will create high speed movement and better merge points," said Zerilla. "It will enable safer movement of the traffic with a reduction of long queues that occur during weekday peak hours.
Workers also will widen I-95 north of the interchange to accommodate the new flyover ramps and create better merge points on and off I-95.
Photo courtesy of DelDOT
"Five of the new bridges will be built using structural steel beams and one of the bridges with get prestressed concrete beams," said Zerilla. "In January, Wagman began the erection on the flyover ramp from I-95 Southbound to SR 896 Southbound. This particular structure is an 898-ft. long, four-span bridge consisting of 8.5-ft. tall, curved girders with the largest span being 270 ft. long. Wagman is using a combination of 500-ton cranes and 110-ton cranes to erect the steel with the largest girder weighing 57 tons.
Wagman is working with DelDOT to create a safe work environment for both the workers and the traveling public. Wagman is following a DelDOT work-zone plan that uses concrete barriers throughout the project to provide protection. Also, DelDOT has created a website that keeps motorists aware of changing traffic patterns, traffic alerts and current construction activities.
One major challenge is that the project has been working where the old Christina River used to be located. The river was relocated as part of a previous project and has created necessary ground improvements for construction of both bridge elements and a retaining wall.
The project is using a combination of wick drains, predrilling and installation of rigid inclusion to improve the ground in this location.
Along with the ground improvements the project also is using both cellular concrete and foamed glass aggregate as backfill to reduce the loading in this area.
"I believe this project, when finished, will enable the many motorists traveling through this area to have an easier and quicker travel experience," said Zerilla. "The improved interchange and flyovers should assist with reduced queues and provide for a safer interchange."
Wagman has teamed with some local Delaware contractors on this project to help with the job: Greggo & Ferrara will be doing the concrete and asphalt paving, Eastern Highway Specialists is focusing on the structures that get rehabilitated and widened, A-Del Construction is working on installing reinforced concrete pipe and drainage structures and JJID completed much of the work at the wetland mitigation site. CEG
Chuck MacDonald
Chuck MacDonald is an editor, blogger and freelance feature writer whose writing adventures have taken him to 48 states and 10 countries. He has been the editor for magazines on pavement construction, chemicals, insurance and missions. Chuck enjoys bicycling, kayaking and reading. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. Chuck lives in Annapolis, Md. with his wife Kristen. They have seven grandchildren.
Read more from Chuck MacDonald here.
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