DelDOT marks completion of Georgetown project
Delaware Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski was joined Aug. 9 by U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and state and county officials to mark the completion of the $19.1 million Georgetown East Gateway project, which began in spring 2020.
The project addressed numerous issues at the Airport Road/Sand Hill Road/Route 9 intersection in Georgetown. Improvements included roadway realignment, additional turn lanes, signal enhancements, pavement resurfacing, bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, transit stops, new lighting, and a roundabout on Sand Hill Road at the entrance of the Georgetown CHEER Center.
The intersection not only provides access to CHEER but also Sussex Academy, Sandhill Fields and the Coastal Delaware Airport. The project also included a connection to the Lewes-to-Georgetown Trail.
Delaware’s congressional delegation helped the Delaware Department of Transportation, supported by Sussex County Council, secure a $7 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the project in 2018, which was also the first TIGER grant secured for Sussex County.
“We have transformed what was a problematic intersection into one that can safely accommodate not just the increased vehicle traffic, but pedestrians and bicyclists as well,” said Majeski. “The project team did an outstanding job coordinating with the community to deliver this project.”
“Federal programs like this one are fiercely competitive and focus on performance and outcomes, rather than earmarks with no accountability,” said Carper. “This project is deserving of this federal funding – not only is it a safer intersection, but there is now better accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as an improved area to attract and grow business.”
Ground was broken in May on another major Georgetown road improvement project, the relocation of Park Avenue, with completion of Phase 1 expected in early 2024.
