An around-the-clock I-95 traffic headache will begin Sunday north of Wilmington, just as ongoing nighttime lane closures farther south on the highway have been frustrating drivers.

The Delaware Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that its contractor Eastern Highway Specialists will rebuild the concrete bridge deck on the interstate's northbound span over Talley Road.

Beginning at 7 p.m. Sunday, contractors will close one of two northbound lanes for the duration of the project, which is scheduled to be completed in early November, weather permitting, DelDOT officials said.

The closure is expected to snarl traffic, especially during rush hour.

DelDOT is advising drivers to use U.S. 13 or I-495 as alternate routes as "delays should be expected."

"We will be using our message boards to direct northbound through traffic," DelDOT spokesman C.R. McLeod said in an email.

The bridge is visibly scarred with pothole patches from previous years.

Still, the concrete is "sound" below the top 2 inches of the bridge deck, said McLeod, who contrasted the I-95 project with a complete bridge deck overhaul that began Monday on the Del. 141 bridge over U.S. 13, near New Castle. Exposed rebar is visible on that broken-down bridge deck.

"By doing this mill and concrete overlay, we extend the lifespan of the bridge deck so we don’t have to do a major deck replacement sooner," McLeod said. "This is like putting a veneer on a tooth, while the 141 Basin Road bridge is a replacement of the tooth."

Unlike the Del. 141 project, no incentives are in place to reward the contractor for early completion, as DelDOT structure maintenance contracts do not allow such language.

With a $3.4 million bid, Eastern Highway Specialists won DelDOT's 2016 to 2019 maintenance contract for northern Delaware transportation structures.

The I-95 bridge work adds to a long list of ongoing transportation projects that are remaking Delaware's road network – and frustrating some residents – including the $84 million rebuild of the Del. 141, I-95 interchange, and the half-billion-dollar construction of the U.S. 301 tollway.

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Also on Tuesday, DelDOT announced that numerous ramps connecting I-95 and I-495 to roads north of Wilmington will close this week to allow space for crews to cut trees that sit too close to the right-of-way.

The southbound I-495 exit ramp to Naamans Road will close Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The ramp from Naamans Road to I-95 southbound will close Thursday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The I-95 exit ramp to Marsh Road will close on Friday, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Detour signs will be posted for all of the closures.

Contact Karl Baker at kbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.