Park Avenue relocation plans unveiled

The long-awaited relocation of Park Avenue, a truck bypass around Georgetown, is being planned in two phases over the next six years.

The project will provide an improved bypass from Route 9 east of Georgetown on Park Avenue with direct access to Arrow Safety Road to Route 113 south of Georgetown. The project also provides a new section of Park Avenue to allow for a larger safety zone for an expanded runway at Delaware Coastal Airport.

Phase 1, estimated to cost about $16 million, will include road improvements along Route 113 and Arrow Safety Road, a roundabout at the Arrow Safety-South Bedford Street intersection, and relocation of a section of Park Avenue west of Cedar Lane, south of the airport. Construction is expected to take place from 2021 to 2023.

Phase 2 road improvements will extend along Park Avenue from the end of Phase 1 up to and including the Route 9 intersection. Construction will start at the conclusion of Phase 1 and take two years.

During a May 28 public workshop, Delaware Department of Transportation Project Manager Ed Robles said improvements are needed to make Park Avenue a safer truck route and will include 12-foot-travel lanes and 10-foot-paved shoulders. Currently, there are 2-foot shoulders and 10-to 11-foot travel lanes.

Two sections of Park Avenue will be dead-ended with cul-de-sacs for local traffic only.

Intersections in the project area have been identified by state transportation officials as part of DelDOT's High Risk Rural Roads Program with multiple locations with higher than state average vehicle crashes (2010-14).

Arrow Safety Road from Route 113 to South Bedford Street – 26 crashes, 5 times the average.

South Bedford Street from Route 113 to north of Park Avenue – 65 crashes, 1.6 times the average.

Park Avenue from South Bedford Street to Route 9 – 58 crashes, 1.2 times the average.

For more information or to make comments, go to: https://deldot.gov/projects/index.shtml?dc=details&projectNumber=T201304601