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Del. closes I-495 bridge because of column tilt

By WTOP Staff

RANDALL CHASE
Associated Press

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware officials on Monday ordered the emergency closure of the Interstate 495 bridge over the Christina River in Wilmington after discovering that four support columns are tilting.

The 4,800-foot bridge normally carries about 90,000 vehicles a day on I-495, which diverts traffic around the city of Wilmington and toward the Port of Wilmington. The route parallels Interstate 95, which runs through downtown Wilmington.

“We understand that there will be a significant impact to the traveling public,” said state Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt.

He added that he doesn’t know how long the bridge will be closed. “It could be a day; it could be significant amount of time,” he said.

Officials said the four columns on the south bank of the river are tilted by as much as 2.4 degrees, or 4 percent, from vertical. The bridge will be closed in both directions until officials can determine what caused the tilt and what must be done to address it.

“The whole bridge will be re-inspected,” said Rob McCleary, chief engineer for the Delaware Department of Transportation.

Workers placed sensors on the four columns Monday to help engineers determine whether they are still shifting. “By tomorrow early afternoon we should have some data that will tell us, ‘Is the bridge continuing to move or has it stopped?'” Bhatt said.

Crews also excavated around some columns where they tie into concrete footers to make sure there was no separation between the footers and columns. Bhatt also said soil borings have been taken to look at pilings and check the soil beneath the columns.

“I’ve got more questions than answers right now,” he said.

Delaware transportation officials said the agency received a report late Friday from an engineering firm working on an unrelated project about a possible problem with the bridge. The department sent out an inspection team Monday morning.

“It didn’t come to us as like an emergency call,” Bhatt said, explaining why a team wasn’t sent earlier.

Officials said I-495 will be closed northbound at Terminal Avenue, which leads to the port, and that local northbound traffic can stay on I-495 to Terminal Avenue. Southbound traffic on I-495 will be closed at the Pennsylvania state line, with traffic diverted onto I-95 southbound. Southbound port traffic is being directed to Interstate 295 east and then to Delaware 9 north to the port.

Bhatt warned that closing the bridge and shifting traffic onto Interstate 95, which already is congested during the morning and afternoon rush hours, will have a significant impact for motorists.

“We get a lot of traffic on 95 through here,” he said. “You can’t take 90,000 vehicles and just shift them onto 95 and not expect to have an impact.”

Delaware officials are working with counterparts in surrounding states to advise motorists and trucking companies of the closure.

Officials said the main span of the bridge over the water is considered “fracture critical,” meaning that failure of one element could result in failure of the entire bridge, which consists of a concrete deck on steel beams supported by 37 reinforced concrete columns. However, the tilting columns in question support a different area of the 38-span bridge.

“The main span is not what’s in question here,” McCleary said.

The bridge was built in 1974 and is scheduled for inspection every two years. It was last inspected in October 2012.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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