It wasn't the Grinch who stole this year's Elsmere Christmas Parade

To paraphrase Dr. Suess: Every Who down in Elsmere liked the town's Christmas parade a lot.

But the state transportation guys who were working on the north side of town, seemed more interested in finishing a $4.3 million bridge rehabilitation project on North DuPont Road.

It's not that the DelDOT guys hated Elsmere's Christmas parade. 

It's just that they needed to fix the 56-year-old structurally deficient bridge, which caused Elsmere's townfolk to ponder what to do about this year's parade. 

"It breaks our heart to have to do this," Parade Co-Chair Joe Leonetti said. "But we just don't have any other choice."

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Leonetti, who's been involved with the parade since it started more than 30 years ago, said he'll miss seeing the smiling faces of children and others who put so much effort into the yearly event, always held on the second Sunday in December. 

"So as much as it broke our heart, because we have so many people that really love coming to it and being in it, we had to make the decision that we're just not going to be able to do it," Leonetti said. 

The ongoing construction has shuttered streets that in previous years would hold parade participants until it's time for them to join the festivities and make that noise! Noise! Noise!

That's one thing the Grinch hates. The NOISE!

Leonetti said they tried finding different places to hold participants, such as the parking lot of the BJ's Wholesale Club.

"We looked at all other ways of doing it," he said. "Using side streets and going around the back way or reverse the parade."

But with shoppers in full Christmas rage, Leonetti said it probably wouldn't work or it would be unsafe. 

"It's very disappointing," he said, "but you know it would have been a logistical nightmare." 

The construction is expected to go on into next year, according to DelDOT Spokesman C.R. McLeod – who did not stare down from a cave with a sour, Grinchy frown, at the warm lighted windows of Elsmere town.

It's just that the 175-foot-long span required a full bridge deck replacement and comprehensive rehabilitation of the steel superstructure and concrete substructure.

"This includes replacing the existing concrete deck with a new deck and barriers, structural work and painting," McLeod said in a statement.

The roadway approaches will be reconstructed as well as pedestrian improvements.

The bridge has been closed to traffic since March 19 and the contractor is working to reopen it by the end of this year, McLeod said.

Though construction will continue into early 2019.

Maybe by then, the Grinch's small heart will grow by three sizes. And the minute his heart doesn't feel quite so tight, he'll bring back the parade of dancers, marching bands and even Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.