Closings, restrictions in place for Rehoboth, Lewes fireworks
Rehoboth Beach will be celebrating Independence Day Wednesday, July 3, while Lewes will be hosting its Go Fourth Lewes Fireworks Thursday, July 4. There a host of traffic advisories and road closures for both events.
Rehoboth:
• Road Closures
– From 6 p.m. to midnight, the circle around the Bandstand will be closed to vehicle traffic
– Beginning at 6 p.m., only bus and resident traffic will be allowed on Henlopen Avenue, and only bus traffic will be allowed on Surf Avenue.
– Beginning at 7 p.m., vehicles will not be able to use Rehoboth Avenue at the lighthouse circle.
– Beginning at 8:30 p.m., Rehoboth Avenue eastbound and Church Street from Route 1 will be closed.
– Beginning at 8:30 p.m., residents in Henlopen Acres and North Shores, and on Henlopen Avenue, will access their residence using First Street.
• Traffic advisories
– All vehicles will have to enter Rehoboth Beach using State Road to Bayard Avenue.
– All traffic north of Rehoboth Avenue should exit Rehoboth Beach via Columbia Avenue and Rehoboth Avenue.
– All traffic south of Rehoboth Avenue should exit using Bayard Avenue or by using Hickman Street and Munson Street to State Road to Route 1. Traffic signs will be posted.
For more information on the Rehoboth Beach fireworks, go to www.cityofrehoboth.com or call 302-227-6181 Ext. 522.
• The Jolly Trolley
The Jolly Trolley will be operating its daily Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach shuttle services, in full schedule, from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. The fixed route will be to the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand and to Dickinson Avenue in Dewey, on the Rehoboth Bay side. The Dewey stops along the ocean side of Route 1 will also be serviced.
Please note, during and after the fireworks, in Rehoboth Beach, the convention center stop, Village by the Sea stop, and the uptown Christian Street stop will be closed. Traffic delays are expected. For more route information, go to www.jollytrolley.com or call 302-644-0400.
Lewes:
In an effort to alleviate some of the traffic congestion that occurred at last year's Go Fourth Lewes Fireworks, several restrictions and closings will be in place before and after the Thursday, July 4 event.
– Fireworks will go off just after 9 p.m. from a barge about 1,500 feet off Lewes Beach.
– The Savannah Road drawbridge will close at 7 p.m. to vehicular traffic.
– The Freeman Highway bridge will close at 8 p.m. to vehicular traffic. Walkers and bicyclists will be permitted to use both bridges.
– Parking will not be permitted along Cape Henlopen Drive from Savannah Road to Cape Henlopen State Park.
– Organizers plan to add many more port-a-potties at both Lewes Beach parking areas. Both bathrooms at Beach 1 will be ladies rooms only, and showers will be shut off at 7 p.m.
– After the show, Savannah Road and Freeman Highway will be one-way out with one lane for vehicles and one lane for walkers and bicyclists.
– Vehicles using Savannah Road will not be able to turn onto Gills Neck Road, Front Street or Kings Highway. Once motorists are beyond Kings Highway, they can use side streets to circle back to downtown if needed.
– The Cape May-Lewes Ferry will again remain open for the show. Live music from Glass Onion will be available from 6:30 to 10 p.m., with a break during the fireworks. Parking is free, but the parking lot will remain closed until at least 30 minutes after the fireworks show ends to help with the traffic situation.
Co-founder Paul Evalds said, “Even with a new plan in place, people need to be prepared to wait.”
He said other locations in the downtown area of Lewes, such as Canalfront Park, are also perfect viewing areas. “You don’t have to be on the other side of the canal to see them,” he said.
Evalds and Russ Palmer are founders of the Go Fourth Lewes Fireworks, which had its inaugural show last summer.
Second Street closing for kids' games
Second Street from Savannah Road to Market Street will be closed all July 4th morning and into the afternoon for the old-fashioned children’s games.
Doo-Dah Parade starts around 5 p.m.
Motorists should expect delays on Kings Highway and Savannah Road around 5 p.m., when the annual Doo-Dah Parade takes place.
Partygoers can get free ride vouchers
The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is reactivating its SoberLift program, in partnership with Lyft®, over the July 4th holiday in beach resorts.
The program will begin at 4 p.m., Wednesday, July 3, and run through 2 a.m., Sunday, July 7, with a limited number of free Lyft® vouchers – maximum value of $15 – for individuals who want a safe ride during that time period. To participate in the program, individuals need to text SoberLift to 99000 to redeem the discount code. It will be available in Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, South Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island.
Street teams will be present ahead of the holiday weekend, handing out vouchers for SoberLift codes, as well as promoting the program at local bars, restaurants and other local businesses.
Throughout the state from 2014 to 2018, the July 4th weekend saw 53 DUI-related crashes and five DUI-related fatalities. Most DUI crashes occur between 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Delaware beaches, according to the Office of Highway Safety. The beach area also led the state with 46 DUI-related crashes in 2018.
In addition, OHS is partnering with Delaware State Police and local law enforcement for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign from July 4-7 to curtail drunk driving. There will be increased enforcement on the roads with zero tolerance for those who drive impaired.
