Welcome to the latest edition of CONNECTIONS WITH COOK!
Dear Colleagues:
I mentioned last week about the arrival of warm weather, how we’re preparing for our busy season and getting new projects underway. Well, we’re experiencing a little bit of a cold snap this week, but I’ll still share some information about those projects.
We have a lot on our plate this season; not only the necessary routine items that keep our organization moving, but major projects such as the deck overlay on the New Jersey-bound Span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. These projects demand a certain amount of innovation and thinking out of the box. Whether it’s using newly developed materials or a fresh perspective on managing projects, it’s important to recognize innovation as a core element in moving our organization into the future.
This week also brings the final installment of our celebration of Women’s History Month. We took this opportunity to celebrate the women who serve on our Board of Commissioners. I thought it would be nice to share some of the Commissioners’ backgrounds and have the employees get to know them a little better.
I wouldn’t have to look very far for an inspirational figure when celebrating Women’s History Month. My mother, Nancy Cook, has always served as an inspiration for women looking to become active in government, business or helping the less fortunate in our communities. She’s always been a strong, tough, empathetic and caring person. She played with the big boys in the “Old Boys’ Club” and not only survived but prospered and succeeded; showing generations of women that followed her, not only could they do it, but they were expected to participate and excel.
Thank you to the women of the DRBA. It doesn’t matter if you’re in senior management or in a historically male dominated area, your commitment to this entity has benefited all of us in so many ways. Whether it’s the contributions to the job or the seemingly effortless way you manage your work/life balance, “Thank You!”, for helping us become a premier organization and connecting us to the customers we serve.
I also want to make everyone aware that we’ll be reducing the frequency of Connections with Cook moving forward. We’ve been able to see that although many employees enjoy receiving Connections with Cook, many employees don’t read it every week. I don’t want to flood your inboxes with unwanted information, so we’ll continue to send Connections with Cook, but we’ll do it every other week beginning in April.
Please continue to be considerate of your co-workers and be respectful of the decisions of others regarding the steps necessary for personal protection. We need to act responsibly and together for everyone’s health and safety.
Please continue to follow all health and safety protocols and be responsible in public settings.
Thank you.
Commissioner Crystal L. Carey, Esq.
As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions of Commissioner Cristy Carey to the Delaware River and Bay Authority.
Commissioner Carey was raised in Dover, Delaware and was appointed to the DRBA Board of Commissioners in 2015, bringing with her a wealth of experience in real estate and domestic law.
Ms. Carey is an attorney with the firm of Schmitinger & Rodrigues, P.A. and has practiced law for over 30 years. Commissioner Carey is admitted to practice law in the states of Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Ms. Carey is a former Executive Committee Member of the Delaware State Bar Association, Member of the Delaware Bar Foundation and a Trustee of the Lawyer Fund for Client Protection.
Commissioner Carey is a passionate supporter of the DRBA and is a tremendous resource in real estate processes, development activities and HR related initiatives.
Cristy lives in Dover, Delaware with her husband of over twenty-five years, Mike Carey. Family is extremely important to Cristy and Mike, even more so now that they’re temporary empty nesters as their son is away at school. Cristy has used this time to renew her love of playing the piano and to add a little extra time to her daily runs. She’s also spent the latter half of March watching college hoops and seeing her NCAA bracket fall apart.
Please join me in thanking Commissioner Carey in her commitment to the DRBA and for being a great role model for all women.
Thank you, Cristy!
Congratulations
I’m not sure how I missed it, but I want to apologize for the oversight in recognizing some of our recent Police promotions.
Please join me in congratulating the following officers as they’ve achieved significant career promotions:
Sergent Luther Dashiell
Lieutenant Jason La Mora
Captain and Chief of Staff Chris Field
I am very grateful for the dedication these officers have shown since their graduation from their respective academies, field training and up through the ranks.
Congratulations and thank you for your commitment to the DRBA!
ULTRA-HIGH Performance Concrete Bridge Deck Project
Last week, the Board of Commissioners announced that UHPC Solutions of North America, LLC had been retained to undertake the deck overlay on the New Jersey-bound Span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The project will cost approximately $71 million and is scheduled to begin in September 2022.
The bridge deck on the New Jersey-bound structure is exhibiting deterioration and requires substantial repair. Partial depth deck reconstruction utilizing Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) has been identified as the most effective solution. The project includes removal of the top 2” of the existing deck slabs and replacement with an Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) overlay.
Construction activity associated with this project will be suspended during the winter months and the peak summer travel season. The project will be performed in three phases noted below:
• Phase 1 (Fall 2022): NJ Bound Span, two right lanes (Lanes 1 & 2), from “the Delaware side” to the bridge midpoint – September 6, 2022 – November 22, 2022
• Phase 2 (Spring 2023): NJ Bound Span, two left lanes (Lanes 3 & 4), for the full length of the bridge – February 1, 2023 – May 25, 2023
• Phase 3 (Fall 2023): NJ Bound Span, two right lanes (Lanes 1 & 2), from the bridge midpoint to “the New Jersey side” – September 5, 2023 – November 21, 2023
Significant lane closures and traffic realignment is part of this comprehensive project. Two lanes on the New Jersey bound structure will be closed to traffic throughout each overlay placement period, with an additional third lane shut down during the overnight hours. The remaining lanes on the New Jersey bound structure will be open to traffic.
To accommodate anticipated traffic volumes, a bypass lane will also be provided diverting traffic around the construction. This bypass lane will divert traffic to the exterior lane of the Delaware bound structure and will accommodate traffic bound for the New Jersey Turnpike only. The traveling public should expect traffic congestion and delays heading into New Jersey.
We have commenced a comprehensive communications plan (similar to the recent DelDOT “Restore the Corridor: project) to alert and educate the traveling public and our customers of this vital initiative related to our infrastructure.
The only other option to a project of this scope, would be to commence a full deck replacement on our NJ Bound span. The full replacement option is significantly more expensive and is much more disruptive to traffic, for a longer period of time, compared to the UHPC deck overlay.
We’ll be in a situation where we’ll have to suffer some short term inconveniences for long term gains in safety to our customers which we help connect to places they want to reach.
Modernizing the Cape May-Lewes Ferry
U.S. Senator Tom Carper and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester visited the Lewes Terminal last week to announce a $600,000 grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration’s America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP) to the Delaware River and Bay Authority to support a comprehensive ferry master plan to develop a new, modern, efficient and cleaner ferryboat design.
The master plan will serve as a comprehensive analysis of operations to help determine the types, sizes and number of ferries that are needed in the future.
Last year, the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act, championed by U.S. Senators Carper, Chris Coons and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and signed into law by President Biden, invests in our nation’s ferry systems to make these vital transportation systems modern and energy efficient.
Senator Carper stated, “The federal government recognized the important link ferries make in our nation and invested hundreds of millions of dollars through the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act to make this an even cleaner and more energy efficient mode of transportation. I’m proud that we can continue to deliver investments in the Delaware River and Bay Authority’s ferry system which has a major impact on the economy here in Sussex County.”
Congresswoman Blunt Rochester continued, “The Cape-May Lewes Ferry has been a key part of Delaware’s identity and tourism engine for decades. Today’s investment in the Delaware River and Bay Authority will take our ferry system to the next level, developing a modern, clean, and efficient fleet. These are exactly the kinds of investments that we envisioned which allows the DRBA and the Cape May Lewes Ferry to flourish and thrive for decades to come.”
I’d like to thank Commissioner Ted Becker of Lewes for hosting the event and thank the Delaware Congressional Delegation for their dedication and support of the Cape May Lewes Ferry.
Thank you to Heath Gerhke, Mike Porch and Jim Salmon for their assistance in putting this important announcement event together and hosting Senator Carper and Representative Blunt Rochester.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to the following employees over the next week:
| Peggy McCann (3/29) | Peter Wing (3/30) |
| Tony Scartine (4/1) | Kyle Warker (4/2) |
| Kyra Jarmon (4/2) | John Hitchner (4/4) |
If you happen to see any of these folks walking around the DRBA, be sure to wish them a Happy Birthday.
Don’t forget to reach out to me at telltheboss@drba.net if you have any ideas, want to give a shout out to your fellow employees, or just want to hear more about a certain project.
Thank you,
Tom