Friends and neighbors,
I want to give you an update on several job-creating transportation projects underway in the 12th Senate District, thanks to the $1.4 billion Bond Bill passed by the Delaware General Assembly in June – the largest infrastructure improvement and jobs creation act in Delaware history.
As the co-chair of the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, also known as the Bond Bill Committee, I successfully secured funding for dozens of critical infrastructure projects that will advance the safety and welfare of commuters, as well as the economic health of our state.
Below is a list of just some of the major Delaware Department of Transportation projects occurring in the 12th Senate District.
Be sure to click on the blue links for more information about each project.
Nicole Poore
Senator, District 12
Boyds Corner Road, Cedar Lane Road to U.S. 13
Project Description: The area of New Castle County just below the C & D Canal is expected to experience added congestion and safety issues. This project is part of a Master Plan for improvements in this growing area. The project will improve Boyds Corner Road to four lanes with a median, shoulders and a multi-use path on each side of the roadway.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: 2026
Projected Construction Completion: 2028
Project Update: Design is underway.
Cedar Lane, Marl Pit Road to Boyds Corner Road
Project Description: The area of New Castle County just below the C & D Canal is expected to experience added congestion and safety issues. This project is part of a Master Plan for improvements in this growing area. The project will widen the road to provide shoulders, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and replace of two bridges. Intersections at each end will be constructed under separate projects.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: TBD
Projected Construction Completion: TBD
Project Update: Design work is currently on hold as traffic projections related to the Southern New Castle County Transportation Improvement District (TID) are being re-evaluated as part of a regular TID update.
Lorewood Grove Road, Jamison Corner Road to Del. 1
Project Description: The area of New Castle County just below the C & D Canal is expected to experience added congestion and safety issues. This project is part of a Master Plan for improvements in this growing area. The project will improve Lorewood Grove Road to add shoulders and a multi-use path on one side of the roadway, from Jamison Corner Road to Del. 1.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: 2026
Projected Construction Completion: 2027
Project Update: Design work is currently on hold as traffic projections related to the Southern New Castle County Transportation Improvement District (TID) are being re-evaluated as part of a regular TID update.
Dragon Run Tide Gates Replacement
Project Description: The existing tide gates have deteriorated and are no longer functioning properly, which is causing upstream flooding and negative environmental impacts to the marsh wetlands. This project will include a full replacement of the gates.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: Fall 2023
Projected Construction Completion: Fall 2023
Project Update: Design is underway.
Del. 1 Widening, Del. 273 to the Roth Bridge
Project Description: This project will identify and prioritize cost-effective short, mid-and long-term transportation infrastructure improvements along Del. 1 from the Roth Bridge to south of I-95 that reduce congestion and travel times and improve safety, while minimizing environmental impacts.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: TBD
Projected Construction Completion: TBD
Project Update: Planning for the widening of Del. 1, including various interchange improvements, has been ongoing. A project of this magnitude takes many years of planning, environmental approvals, public outreach, design, and ultimately construction. Fortunately, DelDOT has been able to implement several smaller-scale upgrades while the larger project continues through the process. A virtual public workshop was held on October 27, 2021, to present the recommended preferred alternative and updates to the noise study and other environmental efforts.
Del. 72 widening, McCoy Road to Del. 71
Project Description: This project will widen Del. 72 to four lanes, with bike lanes and sidewalks, and provide a center turn lane. These pedestrian improvements will enhance multi-modal transportation along the Del. 72 roadway by providing safety and operational improvements in the project area.
Project Phase: Construction
Construction Start Date: March 2019
Projected Construction Completion: 2024
Project Update: Construction for the utility relocation work began in March 2019 and was substantially completed in November 2021. Construction for the roadway contract is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2022. virtual public information update is available on the project web site, and additional information is available at SR72improvements.com.
U.S. 40 and Del. 896 Improvements
Project Description: The project will construct a grade-separated interchange to improve safety and reduce congestion. This intersection is in need of both safety and operational improvements. The U.S. 40 Corridor Monitoring Program shows large peak hour volumes and substantial congestion. Traffic conditions will likely deteriorate further with proposed development in the area.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: TBD
Projected Construction Completion: TBD
Project Update: Design is progressing for Alternative 1. Advanced utility work may begin in 2023. The schedule of the road improvements may be adjusted to account for other projects occurring in this area
U.S. 40, Salem Church Road to Walther Road
Project Description: This project will provide an additional travel lane in each direction and multi-use paths on U.S. 40 from Salem Church Road to Walther Road. This project was identified as part of the Route 40 Corridor 20-Year Transportation Plan. The Plan was adopted on June 19, 2000 to detail highway, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements that are, or will be, needed to address already planned growth and development and to enhance the quality of life in the Route 40 Corridor.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: 2023
Projected Construction Completion: 2026
Project Update: Design is ongoing and acquisition of right-of-way has begun.
Glasgow Avenue, Del. 896 to US 40
Project Description: The Glasgow Avenue project will implement a Main Street concept by reducing travel lane width, modifying shoulders, adding turn lanes and transit amenities, providing bicycle and pedestrian accommodation of both sides. Safety improvements at Old Country and Paxson Drive will also be included.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: 2026
Projected Construction Completion: 2027
Project Update: Project design began in early 2022. A public workshop is planned before the end of 2022.
School Lane Pathway
Project Description: The project proposes a 2,150-foot bike trail from Frenchtown Pike to School Lane within the city limits of New Castle. The path will act as a connector route to the Jack Markell Trail.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: 2023
Projected Construction Completion: 2023
Project Update: Design is underway.
U.S. 13, U.S. 40 to Memorial Drive Pedestrian Improvements
Project Description: The U.S. 13 corridor has incomplete accommodations for pedestrians and other non-motorized modes. The corridor has experienced accidents involving pedestrians and the need for improvements has been identified by various studies. This project will improve pedestrian facilities and safety along the U.S. 13 corridor.
Project Phase: Design and Planning
Projected Construction Start Date: 2020
Projected Construction Completion: 2025
Project Update: The project has been divided into several phases in order to expedite the overall implementation. Pedestrian facilities between Boulden Blvd and Rogers Rd have been completed as part of a pavement rehabilitation project in early 2021. The U.S. 13 Lighting project between Llangollen Blvd and I-495 was mostly completed in 2021. Some lighting that will be implemented by Delmarva Power is scheduled to be installed in Spring/Summer 2022. The U.S. 13 Median Treatment project is currently in design and we expect construction to start in early 2023. The U.S. 13 Paving & Pedestrian project between Llangollen Blvd and Bacon/Boulden Blvd is also in design and we expect construction to start in early 2024.
Neighborhood Repaving Projects
The Delaware General Assembly created a new program in 2019 to help repave more local neighborhood streets and ensure the safety of our community streets. The program prioritizes the worst-rated roadways with an emphasis on streets near schools, libraries, post offices and the entrances to neighborhoods.
The Joint Capital Improvement Committee dedicated a record $30 million toward the Subdivision Street Pavement Management Fund this year.
Here in the 12th District, a dozen neighborhood roadways are slated for repaving in the coming year, highlighted in red on the map:
- Antrim – Coleraine Way from Kirkwood Street Georges Road to Glenshane Pass (West)
- Beaver Brook Crest – Ferris Court from Dillon Drive to Cul-de-sac
- Becks Woods – Banff Court from Yosemite Drive to Cul-de-sac
- Fox Run – Pheasant Run from Deer Run to Cul-de-sac; Archer Way from Archer Place to Cul-de-sac; Pheasant Way from Pheasant Circle to Cul-de-sac
- Glasgow Pines – Stewarton Court from Thornhill Drive to Cul-de-sac
- Pinewoods – West Pompeii Drive from Road Begins -west Pompeii Drive to East Pompeii Drive; East Pompeii Drive from Pompeii Way to Cul-de-sac; Pompeii Way from Corsica Avenue to West Pompeii Drive
- Wilmington Manor – Monroe Avenue East from Dupont Parkway to End; Jackson Avenue East from Dupont Parkway