Update: Philly.com reported this morning, due to unseasonably warm conditions which expedited repairs, The Delaware River Turnpike Bridge reopened to traffic shortly before 10:00 PM Thursday evening.
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Good weather has pushed repairs on the Interstate 276 bridge that links Pennsylvania and New Jersey ahead of schedule, putting the reopening date on track for April, writes Mark Scolforo for The Washington Post.
“Our best-case scenario is what’s playing out right now,” said turnpike chief engineer Brad Heigel.
The bridge has been closed since January 20, when a cracked 14-inch steel truss was discovered on the Pennsylvania side under a westbound travel lane.
That section of interstate usually carries around 42,000 vehicles each day.
According to Heigel, no other major structural problems were discovered by inspectors.
So far, $12 million in construction contracts have been issued in addition to other significant costs for professional services.
The total cost including lost tolls has not been fully determined, but will be split between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The exact cause of the damage has not been determined, but engineers believe that part of the problem was the use of plug welds at the point of fracture.
“We feel very confident there are no other misdrilled holes in the tension members in any of the other truss sections,” said Heigel.
Read more about the reopening at Ben at The Washington Post by clicking here.
