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In its first foray into the nation's Capital, on the weekend of April 16th, EHS was happy to assist the Federal Highway Administration on a project on the National Mall, to upgrade the bridge deck overlay of Independence Avenue over Maine Avenue.
EHS divided the project into three shifts and had 40 of its employees staff the project, 24/7 over the course of the weekend.
The work included micromilling to remove the existing overlay and replacing it with a Kwikbond Polyester Polymer Concrete Overlay. This project was unique in that the National Parks has requested a "dark gray" color for the overlay which is traditionally more of a tan color. Working with Kwikbond we were able to provide a pigmented product that satiisfied the aesthetic need of the project.
Eastern Highway Specialists is proud to be an ongoing partner with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s (PDE) Oyster Shell Recycling Program. The PDE collects used oyster shells from local restaurants to recycle them. They are gathered at a site on Church Street, and every 6 to 9 months turned to allow for further aeration and cleaning of the shells. This allows air and important decomposers access to the shell to make sure they are clean before they go back into area waterways.
In the latest stage, our equipment Operator Jay Knox met with Sarah Bouboulis, Habitat Project Coordinator, to “turn” the shells. Jay used the excavator to shift the pile to a new location to continue the curing process. The shell will eventually be used in habitat restoration projects throughout the Delaware River & Bay region, and they need to be clean in order to be used in those projects.
Sarah Bouboulis is with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, which is a clean water non-profit for the region, located not far from Eastern Highway Specialists on Poplar St. in Wilmington.
“We are so glad Eastern Highway Specialists is able to continue helping us with this project. Our oyster shell recycling program is really a community effort that includes area restaurants, our volunteers and Eastern Highway Specialists.”--Sarah Bouboulis, Habitat Project Coordinator (PDE)
Final Step: After the shells are turned at least once and cured for a minimum of 6 months, they are packed into bags, with the help of volunteers, to be used in restoration projects. Many of the bags are used to stabilize the shoreline as part of living shoreline projects. They also provided habitat for new oyster populations. Oysters are amazing filter feeders and when new reefs are established they are providing important water filtration services.
EHS responded to an urgent call from DelDOT for emergency flood repairs at two locations in New Castle County, DE on Montchanin Rd. and Thompson’s Bridge Rd.
At Thompson’s Bridge Rd., severe flooding took out a large portion of roadway near Brandywine Creek St. Park, resulting in a sinkhole leaving the barrier wall unsupported and damaging the drainage system. EHS engineered a solution to stabilize the wall, backfilled the sinkhole and repaired the drainage system within a matter of days.
At Montchanin Rd., major flooding a few weeks ago washed away the earth supporting a historic stone masonry bridge. This quickly created a dangerous situation that called for the bridge to be closed. EHS mobilized one business day after being contacted and filled the scour with concrete, supporting the bridge for use again. There was another severe rain event one day after EHS completed the repair. It is likely that the swift response by EHS in both of these instances saved both structures from severe damage and minimized a huge risk for the traveling public.