Overpass in the works for 113/404 intersection

By 2040, Department of Transportation officials expect the intersection of Routes 113, 404 and 18 to be a nightmare. 

The average delay for vehicles at the intersection today is 78 seconds. In 20 years, with no improvements, officials expect that delay to grow to about 260 seconds – more than four minutes. 

Project Manager Mark Whiteside said congestion is mostly seasonal now, but studies show it trending toward year-round in the future.

“This is a short-term cost for a long-term gain,” he said. “If we don’t do something now, it’s only going to get harder with more development.” 

DelDOT officials propose an overpass to relieve traffic stress on the intersection. Five options were presented to the public at a Feb. 28 workshop at Delaware Technical Community College, a stone’s throw away from the intersection. Four of the five versions take Route 404/18 over 113.

The goal of the project is to relieve congestion, improve safety and preserve the Route 113 corridor. DelDOT data show 128 crashes at the intersection from February 2015 to February 2018. 

Each version of the plan would affect nearby homes and businesses, some more than others. Whiteside said DelDOT has not discussed the plans with the affected property owners, but possible right-of-way acquisitions were made public when the project was discussed in a working group and at public workshops in 2014 when DelDOT was preparing environmental documents for the project. 

“We will talk to business owners individually when moving forward in design to try to accommodate for access where safe and feasible,” Whiteside said. 

Alternative  A would put Route 404/18 over 113. Ramps would be built on either side of 113 in the area of Royal Farms, Hardee’s, Napa Auto Parts and Boulevard Ford. Signals would be added on each side where the ramps T with the new section of 404. 

Alternative B would take 404/18 over 113 and use the Royal Farms and Boulevard properties to build a free-flowing, circular ramp. DelDOT would use an open field on the other side of Route 113 to build another ramp of the same style. A few homes along Route 113 would likely be lost in that option. 

Alternative C would again take 404/18 over 113, but rather than large, circular ramps, DelDOT proposes ramps that run tighter to Route 113. One single traffic light would be placed on the overpass for all ramp and Route 404/18 traffic. Several businesses would still be impacted by the design, but fewer than in other options. 

Alternative D would take Route 113 over 404/18 with long on and off ramps running parallel to 113. A traffic light under the overpass would manage traffic entering and exiting Route 113. Property impacts would be minimal under this plan, but, Whiteside said, there are concerns about limited access to the businesses.  

Alternative E would take 404/18 over 113 with ramps leading to two traditional traffic light intersections on either side of 113 to manage traffic. This option would significantly impact the nearby businesses. 

Each plan has pros and cons, Whiteside said, and it is up to the public to decide which version is preferred. Comment will be accepted until March 30. 

Design is expected to continue until 2020. DelDOT anticipates a lengthy property acquisition process to run from 2020 to 2023, and construction will begin in 2023. A very broad estimated cost of the project is $45 million, Whiteside said.

“We know that there are going to be significant impacts,” Whiteside said. “This is just a piece of the puzzle of a bigger plan.”

The project is part of a larger effort to improve the Route 113 corridor from Milford to the Maryland state line. This project and a Millsboro bypass to Route 24 are the first two projects of the $544 million effort.

To learn more about the plan, go to https://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/US113-SR18-SR404-GSI/.