Six Sussex road projects considered in latest CTP

November 3, 2023 227

Six Sussex County road projects are being considered in the latest round of the state’s Capital Transportation Program.

The projects are among 14 being looked at statewide for Fiscal Year 2025 to Fiscal Year 2030. In-person public meetings to gather comments on the projects were held in late August and early September in all three counties.

The highest-profile projects are the widening of Route 9 to four lanes between Old Vine Boulevard (site of the new Redner’s Fresh Market) and Dairy Farm Road, and the widening of Route 24 from Love Creek Bridge to Indian Mission Road.

Other projects include improvements to Hudson Road from Route 1 to Route 9 near Milton, corridor improvements to Redden Road between Route 113 and Route 13 west of Georgetown, intersection improvements at Zoar Road and South Bedford Street in Georgetown, and improvements to Phillips Landing Road between Mt. Pleasant Road and Phillips Landing in Laurel.

The Council on Transportation will approve the FY2025-FY2030 CTP in February 2024. Delaware Department of Transportation will then seek federal approval later in the year.

A draft project implementation document prioritizes all CTP projects. The highest-ranked Sussex County project is improvements to the Kings Highway corridor from Dartmouth Drive to Freeman Highway in Lewes. The project calls for construction in FY2028 and FY2029.

The second-highest-ranked project is Route 9 widening from just west of Five Points to Old Vine Boulevard, which is the entrance to the Vineyards. This is the first phase of Route 9 widening to four lanes. Construction is slated for FY2027 through FY2029.

Ranked 22nd on the list of 109 projects are Dewey Beach pedestrian and ADA improvements along Route 1 through the entire stretch of town. Construction is planned for FY2029 and FY2030.

Of the new projects, Hudson Road improvements rank the highest at 31st, followed by the second phase of Route 9 widening at 36th. Redden Road corridor improvements come in at 43rd, with the next phase for Route 24 widening at 62nd.

Other notable projects include the grade-separated intersections at Cave Neck Road and Minos Conaway Road, which are ranked 35th and 53rd, respectively. The Minos Conaway Road project will go to construction first, planned for FY2025 through FY2027. The Cave Neck Road project is slated for construction in FY2026 and FY2027.

Improvements to the awkward intersection of Cave Neck Road, Hudson Road and Sweetbriar Road are ranked 70th, with construction planned for FY2025 and FY2026, then more work in FY2029 and FY2030. This project received a boost from Sussex County’s Funding Accelerating Safety in Transportation Track program to move up the project timeline.

Rankings are determined by weighing seven factors, with safety as the most important point.

To view the latest proposed projects or the draft prioritization list, go to tinyurl.com/yc88jups.