New Castle, Del. – The installation of a dehumidification system for the main suspension cables on both structures of the Delaware Memorial Bridge began at the end of February 2016, and it was completed in November 2017 at a total cost of about $35 million. The new system is part of the Authority’s comprehensive capital program designed to preserve and protect the bi-state agency’s transportation infrastructure.

The state-of-the-art system will extend the life span of the main suspension cables that support the bridge deck of the Delaware Memorial Bridges. The project involves the fitting of air-tight wraps around the main cables, positioning injection and exhaust ports, and installing advanced dehumidification plants inside the anchorages of the two bridges.

According to Shoukry Elnahal, chief engineer for the DRBA, the system will be equipped with remote sensors and advanced monitoring systems to insure it functions as intended. “The new dehumidification system is designed to operate as efficiently as possible while keeping the Authority’s long term maintenance requirements to a minimum,” he noted.

Approximately 25 suspension bridges in the world are equipped with a cable preservation system. The new system on the Delaware Memorial Bridge Twin Span is the second in the United States. The bridges’ main suspension cables are original to each span. The New Jersey bound span opened in 1951 and the Delaware bound one in 1968.