GEORGETOWN, Del.- The Delaware Department of Transportation is advising motorists that Bridge 3-240 on Old Furnace Road between Road 529/Cokesbury Road and Rementer Road west of Georgetown is closed due to a pipe failure and road undermining. 

DelDOT bridge maintenance crews were onsite Thursday morning examining the pipe failure, bridge structure and roadway to determine the extent of damage and needed repair.  They found a total collapse of the two main pipes under the bridge. DelDOT spokeswoman Tina Shockley said the collapse was caused by the pipes being perforated from normal deterioration, paired with the high flow of water from the recent nor’easter storm, which ultimately caused the soil between the road base and the pipe to soften resulting in the collapse. 

Shockley said that due to the high level of traffic volume on this roadway, this has been designated an emergency road closure. This designation allows DelDOT to move more quickly through the permitting process and repair the bridge within about six months, according to Shockley. 

Old Furnace Road at the location of the pipe failure will be closed until further notice.

A detour route has been established, which directs eastbound traffic to take a left onto Old Furnace Road, right on Route 404/18, right onto Rum Bridge Road, and a right on Rementer Road back to Old Furnace Road.  Westbound detour is reversed.

Shockley noted that a new long-term detour may be established, as the roads noted in the detour above cannot handle long term heavy truck traffic.

For further information on the real-time travel advisories for this area, visit www.deldot.gov/live traffic, or contact DelDOT’s Office of Public Relations at 1-800-652-5600 or (302) 760-2080.