Growing demand on Sussex County roads: What you need to know about upcoming construction
The list of Delaware Department of Transportation projects in Sussex County is a long one.
In the coming years, numerous roundabouts will be constructed in Delaware's southernmost county. Many aging and corroded bridges will be replaced. Sidewalks and trail extensions will be added. Roads will be widened.
It's all sorely needed. Sussex County's population has been growing for decades, and the pandemic brought the number to over 250,000. The increase in traffic congestion is evident to everyone on the roads.
"The department is investing more than $1.3 billion on infrastructure projects in Sussex County over the next six years to improve all modes of transportation as the population continues to grow," said spokesman C.R. McLeod. "Residents of Sussex County can expect to see infrastructure improvement work continuing for the foreseeable future."
Find out when, where and for how long road construction in your neighborhood and throughout the county is occurring with the list below. You can find more information at deldot.gov/projects.
Lewes
Plantation Road
The first phase of work on Plantation Road is well underway at Five Points. As a roundabout is installed, Beaver Dam Road is closed at Salt Marsh Boulevard and Plantation Road is closed at the entrance to Lowe's. Improvement of the intersection at Plantation and Robinsonville roads is complete. Realignment of the connector road between Route 9 and Beaver Dam Road, at Five Points, has begun.
The roundabout is expected to open to Beaver Dam and Plantation roads only in March and to all traffic in May. Work will be substantially completed in fall 2024, with pavement removal and some nighttime road closures occurring until the spring of 2025.
Phase two of work on Plantation Road, which includes the area between Shady Road/Salt Marsh Boulevard and Route 24, has no construction start date yet. A roundabout will be built at the Postal Lane/Cedar Grove Road intersection, and other work will include median turn lanes for residential entrances and bicycle and pedestrian paths.
Also in the Five Points area, Route 9 will be widened to four lanes between Coastal Highway and Old Vine Boulevard (the entrance to The Vineyards), with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2026.
Route 24
The area of Route 24 between Mulberry Knoll Road and Love Creek is under construction now, scheduled to be completed early next year. The road is being widened and sidewalks are being added.
Work will begin on the intersection of Route 24 and Angola/Robinsonville roads early next year and is expected to be completed in the fall. It will include road widening and intersection improvements.
West of that, in the Long Neck and Oak Orchard areas, work is substantially complete.
Coastal Highway and Minos Conaway Road intersection
This project will create a grade-separated intersection to separate thru-traffic on Coastal Highway from traffic turning onto and from Minos Conaway Road, Nassau Road and Old Mill Road. It will also include a bicyclist and pedestrian path. Construction is set to begin in summer 2024, with completion planned for spring 2027.
Kings Highway
This project consists of widening Kings Highway from Dartmouth Drive to the split with Freeman Highway and will include five roundabouts, as well as bicyclist and pedestrian paths. It's in the design and planning phase and a construction start date is not yet known. A public workshop is planned for winter 2024.
Realignment of Old Orchard Road
Old Orchard Road will be realigned to meet Wescoats Road at its intersection with Savannah Road. The intersection of Wescoats and Clay roads will also be improved. Utility work started this year, with construction due to begin in fall 2024 and be completed in 2026.
New Road bridge over Canary Creek
This bridge will be replaced to reduce flood frequency. The project is in the design phase with no slated start date for construction. DelDOT plans to coordinate construction with the Old Orchard/Wescoats roads project to limit traffic disruption.
Rehoboth Beach
Airport Road extension
Airport Road, which runs between Coastal Highway and Old Landing Road, is set to be extended north to Route 24, though the project is still in the design phase.
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Lake Avenue improvements
This project, which will improve pedestrian accessibility and safety, is in its second phase. Construction is underway, but a completion date is not yet known.
Milton area
Coastal Highway and Cave Neck Road intersection
A grade-separation project will occur here, with construction beginning in fall 2025 and completion set for fall 2027. Work will include three new roundabouts and a cul-de-sac at the east end of Fox Run Lane in Milton.
Coastal Highway and Hudson/Oyster Rocks roads intersection
This project will improve the median crossover at this Milton intersection. The design is complete, but construction is on hold to coordinate with the Routes 1 and 16 intersection project, as well as "local special events," according to DelDOT.
Coastal Highway and Route 16 in Milton
This intersection is already in the process of becoming grade-separated. Traffic configurations will vary while construction is underway, with work set to be completed in fall 2025.
Intersection of Routes 30 and 16
The project is in the planning and design phase and a construction start date is not yet known, but a roundabout will be installed at this Milton intersection after it was identified as a high crash location by DelDOT.
Cave Neck Road and Hudson/Sweetbriar Road intersection
This project, which is in the design phase and does not yet have a construction start date, will feature a five-legged roundabout. The intersection has a "substantial amount of reported crashes," according to DelDOT, and the roundabout will improve safety.
Route 5 and Hurdle Ditch/Cool Spring Road intersection
This project will close the neighboring intersection of Johnson Road and Route 5 and install a roundabout where Route 5 meets Hurdle Ditch and Cool Spring roads in Harbeson. It was identified as part of the Hazard Elimination Program due to the frequency of car accidents in the area. This project is in the design phase with a construction start date to be decided.
Bethany Beach area
Fred Hudson Road
A sidewalk is coming to the south side of this Coastal Highway connector, between North Beech Drive and McCoy Way in Bethany Beach. It's meant to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as extend the Fresh Pond and Cedar Neck Road trail system. Construction is due to begin this spring and be completed by summer's end.
Cedar Neck Road
Set to begin in fall 2024 and take just a few months to complete, this Ocean View project will construct a pathway for bicyclists and pedestrians on Cedar Neck Road, from the Assawoman Canal to Hickman Road.
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Double Bridges Road multi-use trail in Frankford
This project request will address the safety of bicyclists along Double Bridges Road between Muddy Neck Road and Parker House Road with a separated trail. Design is underway but a construction start date is not yet known.
Selbyville
Intersection of Route 54 and Hudson Road
The project is in the design phase and a construction start date is not yet known, but a roundabout will be installed at this intersection to address safety concerns and accommodate traffic growth.
Route 54 bridge
Construction on a new Route 54 bridge, over the canal between Little Assawoman and Assawoman bays in Selbyville, is set to begin in spring 2025 and take about two years. A public workshop is planned for January to finalize the aesthetics of the new bridge.
Georgetown
Routes 113 and 9 intersection
This project will create a grade-separated intersection at Routes 113 and 9. It's still in the design phase with no known construction date.
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Routes 113 and 18/404 intersection
This grade separation will include Route 18/404 bridging over Route 113 with loop ramps to the northeast and southwest. Route 113 will also be widened to six lanes in the area of the intersection. The project will begin in fall 2024 and is set to be completed by summer 2027.
Zoar Road bridges at Morris Millpond
There are two bridges right next to each other on Zoar Road, over Cow Bridge Branch and between Vincent Street and Morris Mill Road. Both are over 90 years old and set to be replaced. The project is in the design phase, with a construction start date not yet known. Replacing the bridges will require the closure of Zoar Road.
Georgetown-Lewes Trail, Fisher Road in Milton to Airport Road
Construction on the final phase of the Georgetown-Lewes Trail is set to begin in fall 2024 and be completed in early 2026. This section of the trail runs parallel to Route 9 along the former railroad tracks. Intersection improvements will be made where the trail crosses roads at Breakwater Acres Road, Route 5, Route 30, Stiener Road and Park Avenue. Intersection improvements will be made at those crossings.
Park Avenue relocation
Construction on this project, which will provide a continuous truck bypass between Routes 113 and 9, is ongoing. It began with the widening of Arrow Safety Road and the installation of a roundabout at Arrow Safety Road and South Bedford Street. Work is continuing on the new alignment of Park Avenue. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2027.
Millsboro
Route 113 widening
About three miles of Route 113 will gain an extra lane in both directions with the completion of this project. Crossover modifications will also be made between Hardscrabble and Dagsboro roads. The project, which is in the design phase and doesn't yet have a construction start date, will improve safety and reduce congestion in Millsboro, according to DelDOT.
North Millsboro Bypass
This project will provide a two-lane connector between Routes 113 and 24 north of Millsboro. Starting with a grade-separated intersection at Route 113 and Hardscrabble Road, the bypass will bridge over Fox Run Road, the Norfolk Southern Railroad, Millsboro Pond and Gravel Hill Road, connecting to Route 24 west of Mountaire Farms.
Construction is well underway on either side of Millsboro Pond, with the grade separation anticipated to begin in winter 2024. The project is set to be completed in 2025.
Ellendale
Routes 113 and 16 intersection
A grade-separated intersection is planned, but a construction start date is not yet known. The project will begin after the grade separation project at Routes 113 and 18/404.
Milford
Bridge replacements
Two Cedar Beach Road bridges, east of Milford, are scheduled to be replaced in the coming years. The swing bridge over Cedar Creek Canal is Delaware's "most frequently operated movable bridge," according to DelDOT. Construction will start in summer 2024 and is scheduled to be completed in winter 2026. Cedar Beach Road will close locally for the project.
Further west on Cedar Beach Road, the bridge over Deep Branch is nearly a century old. Replacement construction will begin in summer 2025 and take about six months. Cedar Beach Road will close locally for this project, as well.
The replacement of the bridge over the Mispillion River on Maple Avenue, which has "multiple cells of large span corrugated metal pipes in poor condition," according to DelDOT, is in the planning phase and does not yet have a construction start date.
Western Sussex
Bridge replacements
The bridge over King Street in Laurel will be replaced, with construction starting in spring 2024 and expected to take two or three months. The road will be closed locally for the project.
Also in Laurel, the bridge over James Branch on Route 24 is set to be replaced, but a construction start date is not yet known.
Route 404 just west of Bridgeville, over Bridgeville Branch, will close for a bridge replacement project in fall 2024. The road is planned to reopen in early 2025.
Discount Land Road widening
Improvements will include roadway widening, bicycle lanes and the construction of a sidewalk in Laurel. The project is set to begin in 2025 and take about a year. A public workshop is planned for spring 2024.
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on Sussex County and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Sussex County road construction: When, where and how long? The details
