Storm aftermath and railroad bridge conjecture

No coffee this morning at the roastery in Lewes.  Storm took its toll.  More material for Amy and Stuart songs.

At SPI Pharma on Cape Henlopen Drive, I noticed three rain-slicked railroad tanker cars at a loading/unloading dock.  Wondering now, with the canal railroad bridge closed indefinitely due to structural problems, how those cars will make it back into the transporter’s rolling stock?

So, why has the marsh side of the bridge support settled enough to cause an immediate closure of the bridge?  Just conjecture at this point but two thoughts come to mind. On the northwest side of the bridge - toward Savannah Road - there is a 60-foot plus drop-off in the bottom of the canal.  A number of years ago, two or three porpoises made their way into the canal and resided for a week or two in that vicinity. Tidal currents rushing through that section must keep that hole scoured, and perhaps deepening.  Is that scouring also responsible for the slumping structure that has led to the bridge closure?  Or has the scouring in combination with the weight of loads being carried over the bridge created a double whammy undermining the bridge’s foundations?  That weight includes tank carloads of - as labeled on the side of the cars - a solution of sodium hydroxide, and occasional flatbed carloads of heavy cannons being transported to the new Fort Miles Historical Association exhibits.

An added dynamic of the bridge-closure story is the fact that this particular bridge is one of only a couple left in the nation that rotate into position by the power of a man or two turning a big key in the heavy gears of the bridge mechanism.  Highway officials already speculate that repairs could take up to four years and many people are already wondering out loud whether the very limited use of the bridge - only serving SPI Pharma once every couple weeks - justifies the effort and expense. Keep an eye on the Cape Gazette as the story gets updated.