Delaware pedestrian bridge back in business

Pedestrians in the Wilmington area can cover more ground now that the “swinging bridge,” in Brandywine Park has re-opened.

The bridge is a part of the park’s bicycle and pedestrian trail network.

“We expected the renovations to take three months to complete, and it’s now ready for fall activities – a month before we anticipated renovations would be finished,” said DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation Director Ray Bivens.

 

Two months ago the bridge which connects the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail and South Park Drive in Wilmington was shut down for renovations and upgrades. The bridge which crosses Brandywine Creek hasn’t had any major work for at least 20 years.

The bridge was originally built in 1909 and is expected to last an additional 30 years thanks to renovations that included new timber decking and metal hardware.

“These improvements have not only made the bridge safe again, it has also added enhancements to make the bridge better than it was before,” Bivens said.

The work is all part of the Governor’s Trails and Pathways initiative giving it a complete makeover with fresh paint.