REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - As part of a statewide DelDOT project, cleaning and painting of the Rehoboth Avenue drawbridge is scheduled to begin Friday, Oct. 17.
The maintenance is aimed at extending the life of the bridge, which has not been painted since 1996. Corrosion has built up since then. While there are no structural issues due to paint corrosion at this time, the drawbridge is vulnerable to reduced service if left untreated.
The cleaning, stripping, and repainting of the bridge will take place during the daytime, with minimal impacts to traffic. Temporary lane shifts may be in place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and traffic patterns will be fully restored after working hours. The bike lane will be closed, and cyclists must use the car lane.
As the drawbridge cannot open during construction, only small boats will be allowed to pass through the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal.
Additionally, the north end of Canal Street will be closed; however, the detour will not go into effect immediately. It is scheduled to begin once containment is set up under the bridge. The detour is now set to run from Oct. 27 through Jan. 19, 2026.
The project will take two months to complete, and work will be paused during the Sea Witch Festival.