Bridging the Gap: Transforming the Trails at Lum's Pond State Park

Visitors to Lum’s Pond State Park will soon be crossing the water in style, thanks to a major upgrade spearheaded by Eastern Highway Specialists (EHS), a local contracting firm with a reputation for craftsmanship and community pride. Awarded the project by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the EHS team worked together to bring new life to the park's trail system with the removal and replacement of two aging pedestrian bridges, known as Bridges B-1 and B-2.

The original structures (pictured above), composed of timber piles and wooden decks, had served nature lovers for decades, but time and the elements had taken their toll.

The project began with the meticulous installation of erosion and sediment controls to ensure minimal environmental impact. After the area was secured, EHS moved on to carefully dismantling the old bridges to make way for a stronger, more sustainable solution.

Next step was to install helical piles to provide a sturdy, long-lasting base that can better withstand the elements.

From there, it was time to bring in a bit of flair. The new bridges feature handcrafted ornamental steel railings, custom fabricated in EHS’s own workshop, a testament to the team’s attention to detail and in-house expertise.

But the makeover didn’t stop there. The final touch? A sleek and durable fiberglass deck, designed to offer both functionality and aesthetic appeal for years to come.

As Lum’s Pond State Park welcomes warmer months and increased foot traffic, park-goers can now enjoy safer, stronger, and more stylish crossings, thanks to the dedication and craftsmanship of Eastern Highway Specialists.

Unusually cold winter provides timely training opportunity

This winter has been the coldest winter in nearly a decade, disrupting constructions projects everywhere. For Eastern Highway, it was a blessing in disguise. We took advantage of the winter lull to make a significant investment in building up our employees' welding and fabrication capabilities. We enlisted the Welding Training and Testing Institute of Allentown, PA to create a custom intensive course at our shop in Wilmington.

Going over the latest progress

Each day for five weeks, six EHS crew members focused exclusively on intensive welding training, gaining 160+ hours of welding practice, with an eye towards 3g and 4G certification:

Practice makes perfect

Studying X-rays of welding tests

In the end it was a great success, as everyone qualified, adding six new certified welders to our ranks, all of whom are already heavily involved in two upcoming projects that require large amounts of welding:

Congrats to our Safety and Training Manager

Nathan Field, for his inauguration to his second term as a Wilmington City Councilman.

Nathan juggles his two jobs with skill and dexterity handling both responsibilities well. Good luck in your second term!