Nassau Road businesses navigate challenges amid road construction
Two local businesses in Lewes, Old World Breads Bakery and Beach Time Distilling, are adapting to the ongoing construction along Nassau Road that has altered traffic patterns and made access slightly more complicated for customers.
The multi-year improvement project has led to detours, altered traffic patterns, lane shifts and the temporary closure of Nassau Road at Route 1. The project is designed to enhance safety and improve overall traffic flow. Plans call for eliminating dangerous crossovers, adding new roundabouts, new access roads, and an additional shared-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists. Completion is anticipated by summer 2028.
Old World Breads is an artisan bakery rooted in old-world tradition, specializing in handcrafted, all-natural breads and pastries made without preservatives or enhancers. Owner Keith Irwin expressed how some customer traffic has slowed, though loyal customers continue to stop by. The bakery has lost some parking in front of the building, but has additional parking options in the back. Irwin noted he has been kept in the loop by project managers on the various stages of the construction project. The business recently opened a second location in Long Neck, and this has helped bring more customers to Old World Breads. The bakery plans to be open as usual for Thanksgiving. Customers can preorder their holiday meal and pick it up at the shop.
“The communication between the project managers at DelDOT has been great so far,” said Irwin. “They’re keeping me informed of what’s going on, on a daily basis. They are working with me on this, and if they have any unforeseen problems, they are using the best communication possible and coming in to talk to me personally. I don’t have a bad thing to say about them. They’ve been doing a great job as far as moving quickly, and hopefully our customers will be patient and still come to see us.”
Old World Breads is open, business as usual, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. For more information or to place an order, go to oldworldbreads.com.
Beach Time Distilling, owned by Greg Christmas, has faced similar challenges. Beach Time Distilling is a small Delaware craft distillery that produces ultra-premium rum, vodka, gin, whiskey and seasonal spirits that are meticulously distilled in limited quantities. Christmas expressed a similar decrease in customer traffic and reported visitor confusion regarding road closures. The distillery continues to operate, and weekend sales have remained steady since construction stops during those days. The business is currently offering a Navy Strength Rum in partnership with a group associated with the USS Delaware, with a portion of the proceeds from each bottle going to support the submarine.
Beach Time Distilling is open, operating as normal, from noon to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. For more information go to beachtimedistilling.com.
Despite the challenges, both owners are optimistic about the benefits of the project and grateful for the continued support of regular customers. After the improvement project is complete, the redesigned roadway will create new access routes that direct more traffic past the Nassau Road businesses, improving visibility and convenience for potential customers. In the meantime, they encourage visitors to take the extra few minutes to navigate detours and stop by their respective businesses.
“It’s going to facilitate access and hopefully reduce the number of accidents, because we certainly don’t want people getting hurt,” said Christmas. “There have also been several times when something happens up on Route 1 and traffic is all backed up. Then our business goes to zero real quick because people can’t get here, and so hopefully those kind of incidents will be dramatically reduced and traffic flow will be improved so it will make it easier for people to get to us.”
