FENWICK ISLAND, De. -- On Tuesday night, DelDot held a meeting to get public feedback on plans for a new bridge on Lighthouse Rd. Construction is slated to begin in late 2024.
We spoke with several neighbors before the meeting began, many want to see the bridge widened. Neighbors said during the summer, especially on weekends, the Fenwick Island Bridge can be a nightmare.
"Right now, the traffic on a busy day takes forever it's real bumper to bumper," said Joe Nieves.
Nieves said a small change could help.
"If they could even just make it two lanes each side that would be a lot better for the area," said Nieves.
Nieves along with Bob Nixon live in a neighborhood right next to the bridge. So they have seen the summertime congestion first hand and are eager for a change.
"Obviously make it a little wider so we have the capacity to get cars across the bridge because it becomes a bottleneck on the weekends," said Nixon.
Neighbors would also not mind seeing the bridge raised to help larger boats go underneath. C.R. McLeod with DelDot said both are a possibility.
"We're definitely looking to have a larger structure out there," said McLeod. "Both for traffic needs and also for pedestrian and bicyclists to get across, it's a very narrow bridge currently."
The project is slated to take more than a year, so there were concerns about what would happen if the bridge was a construction zone during the summer.
"Once we begin construction in late 2024, we'll work through spring of 2025 and then actually pause construction, any type of disruptive construction during those summer months," said McLeod.
Another way DelDot plans to ease any delays during construction is by building the new bridge while the current bridge is useable.
"By building the bridge laterally next to the existing structure we'll be able to minimize traffic impacts," said McLeod. "There will be some that are necessary and ultimately, we'll be looking to do those especially during nighttime hours."
A major project is on the way to Fenwick Island, and many hope it makes getting around less of a headache.