Dedication of Joseph C. Pennington, Jr. Bridge along Rockland Road on Wed., June 20

Wilmington– At a ribbon cutting ceremony this afternoon, the Delaware Chapter of the American Society of Highway Engineers, First State Section (ASHE), the Delaware Department of Transportation, and others celebrated the dedication of the Joseph C. Pennington, Jr., Bridge. 

Located just east of the intersection of Rockland Road and Adams Dam Road, the bridge has spanned the Brandywine Creek, since 1933, replacing a covered bridge at the same site.  The first covered bridge of wood had been in service for a hundred years, when it was replaced by the current concrete encased cantilevered steel multi girder bridge.  The uniqueness of this bridge’s construction makes it eligible for inclusion in the National Register for Historic Places.

In 2006 the bridge was given a major rehabilitation, and it was during this reconstruction that ASHE requested that the bridge be dedicated in memory of its recently deceased member, Joseph Pennington, Jr.,

Speaking at the event, Leon Collins, Jr., of Century Engineering and ASHE Section President, eulogized Pennington as, “a leader and statesman in our industry.  He was known throughout the Mid-Atlantic region for his expertise involving highway construction.” 

Among Joe Pennington’s many notable projects were: the widening of I-95 from the Maryland state line to the rest area, the reconstruction of I-95 from Wilmington to the Pennsylvania state line, and the construction of SR-1 from US113 to Denny’s Road.  Even following his official retirement from a career of 44 years with George & Lynch, Joe remained active on special projects until his passing in 2005.

Attended by a private group of invitees, which included his widow, Velma Pennington, the ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the dedication plaque attesting that Joe Pennington, a life-long resident of Delaware: “will be remembered as an outstanding human being, with the highest ideals, setting the best example for others to follow”

For more information contact DelDOT Public Relations at 1-800-652-5600 (in Delaware) or 302-760-2080.

DelDOT Public Relations
1-800-652-5600 or 302-760-2080
dot-public-relations@state.de.us
www.deldot.gov

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