Obama to Visit I-495 Bridge

President Barack Obama is slated to visit Delaware this week with a stop planned at the site of the tilting I-495 bridge that has been closed for more than a month, according to The News Journal.

The trip would be Obama's first public appearance in the First State since 2009.

The visit is not on the President's official White House schedule. But The News Journal reports Obama's advance team was making security arrangements Friday at the Port of Wilmington.

Obama has made stops at other bridges earlier this year as part of his agenda to highlight infrastructure issues throughout the country. The face time is part of a larger push by the administartion to create jobs by attracting private money to help rebuild roads, bridges and other public works projects.

Delaware Department of Transportation officials closed a portion of I-495 that spans the Christina River in Wilmington June 2.

An engineer firm working on an unrelated project noticed two 50-foot tall pilings supporting the bridge were tilting several days earlier.

Officials say the temporary repairs, originally scheduled to be completed by Labor Day, are ahead of schedule. Southbound lanes could reopen ahead of the September holiday, although DelDOT have not announced a specific date.

The bridge typically carries about 90,000 vehicles daily.

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