ROUTE 90 REOPENS WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
Some work remains to be done but it won't impede traffic, much to the relief of everyone
CHRISTINE CULLEN n Staff Writer
OCEAN CITY TODAY/NANCY POWELL Motorists drive on the Assawoman Bridge on Wednesday, one day after it reopened to traffic. The bridge had been closed since mid-October for struc- tural repairs. Traffic resumed well ahead of the original mid-December date. (Nov. 27, 2009) The fall of discontent for motorists and resort-area businesses ended Tuesday afternoon, when the State Highway Administration reopened the Route 90 bridge after five weeks of repair work closed the mid-town lifeline in and out of Ocean City.
The bridge had been closed to all traffic since mid-October while crews removed and replaced a damaged 85-foot section of the span over the Assawoman Bay. The work was scheduled to be complete in mid-December, but State Highway Administration District Engineer Donnie Drewer said everything went so smoothly, the bridge was able to reopen weeks ahead of schedule.
"We've still got some work to do underneath the span, but it's nothing that will affect the roadway or traffic," he said Monday.
People who live, work and play in Ocean City were thrilled to hear the bridge was set to reopen early. The closure had caused headaches for motorists who had to detour through Delaware or south to Route 50 in order to enter and exit the resort, adding time and expense to every trip.
What had been a trip of just a few miles for some northern Worcester residents turned into a 30-plus mile commute, as they had to drive from uptown down to Route 50 and then over to Route 113 to get to their destinations.
The concrete beams supporting the section of the 38-year-old bridge over the navigation channel were found to be crumbling during a routine inspection in September. The SHA immediately imposed a weight restriction on vehicles crossing the bridge and closed it to all traffic as soon as a contractor was found to repair the span.
The damaged section of the bridge was demolished, new steel crossbeams were laid, a new concrete road was laid and the roadway was painted. Drewer said the work is not quite complete on the underside of the bridge but what remains can be done alongside traffic. There is also no need for another weight restriction, he said.
"They put in long hours — it was a good contractor — and all that we planned to do seemed to go well," Drewer said. "I was hoping to say, 'Merry Christmas,' but I'm glad I get to say, 'Happy Thanksgiving.'"
He credited the speedy completion on a solid construction plan, hardworking contractor and good weather that did not cause more than minor delays.
"You never know what you're going to run into with a job like this. We were fortunate the best laid plans were, in fact, the best laid plans in this case," he said.
