Rehoboth Ave. Drawbridge to be Repainted Starting Oct. 17

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – The Rehoboth Avenue Drawbridge is set to be cleaned and repainted beginning on Friday, Oct. 17

The maintenance is expected to take two months to complete, but work will be paused during the city’s Sea Witch Festival being held towards the end of the month.

The city says this work is in accordance with a statewide project being run by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT). This will be the first time that the bridge has been painted since 1996. While there are no structural issues with the drawbridge at this time, the city says it is vulnerable to reduced service if left untreated.

The cleaning, stripping, re-painting of the bridge will take place during the daytime, with the city projecting minimal impacts to traffic. Traffic patterns will be maintained, while temporary lane shifts may be placed from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Bicyclists will be required to travel in the car lane, as the bike lane will be closed. Only small boats will be allowed to pass through the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, as the drawbridge cannot be opened during construction.

Additionally, the north end of Canal Street will be closed throughout the project while DelDOT utilizes the gravel area next to the bridge for equipment. A detour will be in place for Canal Street, and residents will still have access to their homes.