AECOM, DelDOT's design consultant, determined the bridge can support its own weight, but a full traffic load could cause the bridge to fail.

Harry Roecker, deputy chief engineer at AECOM, feels confident the superstructure can handle the stress of jacking it back to its original shape.

DelDOT also is working with Pennoni Associates to assess the damage and J.D. Eckman Inc. for the repairs.

In a June 5 press conference, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D) announced that Delaware would be receiving $2 million from the Federal Highway Administration, which says the funds should "fast track" repair disbursements as a part of the agency's Emergency Relief Program, reserved for natural disasters or "unanticipated external forces." FHWA calls the repair a high priority and, under the program, will reimburse Delaware for 100% of the temporary fix as well as 90% of the permanent repair.

The 4,804-ft-long bridge, built in 1974 by Wagman Construction, extends across the Christina River with 35 approach spans and the main structure's three spans. The bridge was rebuilt in 2006 by Mumford and Mill Construction, which replaced bearings and repainted it. The bridge was last inspected in October 2012 but showed no deficiencies, according to Benton. DelDOT typically expects its bridges to last 75 years or longer, given proper maintenance.

The tilt originally was reported by R. David Charles, an engineer with local firm Duffield Associates. After noticing that the bridge seemed out of alignment, Charles contacted DelDOT on May 29. The agency sent out a crew on June 2 to inspect it, according to McCleary.

"If you get a complaint from a geotechnical engineering firm, you got to take that seriously," McCleary said.

In April, however, Wilmington resident Charles Allen Jr. called 911 to report "something seriously wrong" about the bridge, according to The News Journal.

"The bridge appears to be separating," Allen told the dispatcher.

According to Kelvin Ramsey, a geologist at the University of Delaware, the ground surrounding the I-495 bridge is fairly soft and composed mainly of soft organic sediment from when the area was a marsh before industrialization in the mid-19th century.