Some of Rehoboth Avenue’s new paving to be redone

If it’s not one thing, it’s another with the paving project on Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.

The project was supposed to have taken place this time last year, but was delayed while officials from the city and Delaware Department of Transportation figured out the path forward for the installation of new handicap accommodations.

Then, a couple months ago, just as the summer season was ending and work was expected to ramp up, there were a number of off-again, on-again announcements from the state related to available funding. Ultimately, it was on again, and the milling and paving work began after the polls closed on Election Day, Nov. 5. 

Now, some of the paving that’s been completed will have to be redone because it was done at night, and the temperatures were too cold for the hot mix.

City Manager Taylour Tedder announced the issue at a Nov. 15 meeting.

Low temperatures at night and Rehoboth Avenue’s sawtooth design for parking have created problems for the contractor because they have to hand roll the hot mix right up to where the pavement meets the median, said Tedder. The contractor has had trouble getting the hot mix down and spreading it out, and because of this, the contractor will redo some of the median area between First Street and the Bandstand, he said.

“This work will be done at no cost to the city,” said Tedder. “We want to ensure it’s the highest-quality product for the community for years to come.”

C.R. McLeod, DelDOT spokesperson, said there is a one-block section where the asphalt in the parking areas was done at night, and due to the cold temperatures, it does not meet the required standards. This is why the work is switching to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., he said.

McLeod said the estimate to repave those sections will be about $20,000. There is no impact to the completion timeline, he added.

Daytime work means businesses will be open while it’s happening. Tedder said at no time will parking on Rehoboth Avenue be blocked completely on one side. For example, he said, if storefront parking is blocked on one side, median parking will be available.

Work will pause Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving and won’t resume until after the annual Hometown Christmas Parade Monday, Dec. 2. Accommodations are being made so it doesn’t impact the parade or the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon, which takes place Saturday, Dec. 7.

Looking forward, Tedder said the areas west of Second Street will be milled at night and paved during the day. 

Originally, the plans called for work to begin just east of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal bridge, work its way east, make the turn at the Bandstand area and then work back west.

Instead, the project started east of the intersection with Second Street.

Public Works Director Henry Matlosz said the contractor started there because the sawtooth area around the Bandstand is one of the more difficult sections of the project and DelDOT wanted to tackle it first.

Other issues

Prior to milling and paving, the contractor made improvements to handicap accessibility along Rehoboth Avenue, including the creation of two ramps on the north side of the second block of Rehoboth Avenue. Residents and businesses in the area questioned why the ramps were so big and why they were so poorly marked. In response, the city installed a temporary railing around the ramps prior to the Sea Witch Festival a few weeks ago. The temporary railing is still there. DelDOT said the ramps built by the contractor were approved by the city, and changes could be made, but they would be at the city’s expense.

The city continues to explore options on what to do regarding the handicap ramps, Matlosz said.

City-wide paving project

In addition to paving Rehoboth Avenue, a partnership with DelDOT, the city is working its way through the annual street paving program.

Tedder said the water main portion of the city-wide paving project on Maryland Avenue is complete and all services have been switched over to the new water main. Concrete work on Maryland Avenue and First Street should be complete this coming week, with milling and paving to follow, he said, adding that once Maryland Avenue and First Street have been completed, the contractor will move to Scarborough Avenue Extended for milling and paving.

As part of the paving program, Tedder said crack-sealing work will take place on St. Lawrence Street, Brooklyn Avenue and Stockley Street.