The $279 million, multi-year I-95 and Route 896 Interchange Project is beginning Sunday, May 7, and drivers can expect road closures and traffic for the next 2 years in the area south of Newark.
"It's a much-needed project that we need to get started on," Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Nicole Majeski said Monday.
The goal of the project is to upgrade the interchange, reducing the chances of crashes caused by motorists slowing and stopping as they cross lanes. Between January 2019 and December 2021, the area saw approximately 2 crashes every three days, resulting in 746 crashes, one being a fatality.
Many of the closures will be overnight. However, DelDOT said there will be some extended closures during the construction expected to run through late 2025.
"It will be a phased approach," Majeski said. "They'll roll it out and as that happens we will be communicating to the public."
When the $279 million project is finished, some of what people will notice in the interchange are:
- Six new bridges
- Widening of north and south I-95 for ramp acceleration and deceleration lanes
- Widening of four bridges
- Enhanced roadway lighting
Other improvements include adding a second lane to the ramp connecting Route 896 north to I-95 north and creating a third through lane for Route 896 south that will go from the interchange, through Old Baltimore Pike and end just before the intersection with Glasgow High School.
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Source: MSN.com
