Sussex transportation needs unchanged since last year

Each year in planning upcoming capital projects, state transportation officials ask Sussex County officials for input.

For the past few years, Sussex County's transportation priorities have remain unchanged. With just a few exceptions, the county's 2013-2018 capital transportation program request report to Delaware Department of Transportation is a carbon copy of last year's requests.

DelDOT is responsible for all transportation projects in Sussex County, including maintenance of the county's more than 4,800 miles of roads and 447 bridges.

The county's priorities include: east-west road improvements to Route 26, Route 24 and Route 404/9; Sussex County airport improvements; relocation of Park Avenue around the airport; bicycle and pedestrian trails; north-south highway improvements; Route 1 improvements; local road improvements; upgrades to key intersections; and alternative transportation sources.

Each of the nine categories is detailed in an 18-page draft report presented to Sussex County Council at an Aug. 21 council meeting. Council will review the report and vote on it at its Tuesday, Sept. 11 meeting in time for a Thursday, Sept. 13 DelDOT public hearing on the program.

County Administrator Todd Lawson said two suggestions were added to the county's report at the request of Councilman George Cole, R-Ocean View, and Councilwoman Joan Deaver, D-Rehoboth Beach.

Cole said DART First State bus stops should be evaluated to ensure the sites are not in out-of-the way places. He also said larger signs could draw more attention and boost ridership.

Deaver wanted more emphasis placed on trails and better interconnectivity to allow bicyclists to commute safely between coastal and inland areas.

Roads in the Cape Region cited in the report include Cave Neck Road, improvements at Route 1 intersection and wider shoulders in the Milton area; New Road, shoulders and bike path; Wolfe Neck Road, bike path; Munchy Branch Road, bike path; Plantation Road and Postal Lane intersection improvements and signalization; and Prime Hook Road, flood prevention and paving and widening.

Other highlights of the report:

The county wants DelDOT to consider blinking red arrow, left-hand turn signals at key intersections along roads such as Route 1, Route 404/9, Route 13 and Route 113 to ease congestion.

Sussex County supports the ongoing effort by state officials in Delaware and Maryland to study the feasibility of passenger rail service on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Proposed improvement in the Route 1 corridor include improvements to the Five Points intersection; improvements to Wescoats Corner intersection; additional sidewalks to fill in the gaps; pedestrian bridges and improved crosswalks at key intersections; and better connecting roads between businesses to alleviate traffic on the main roads.

Rerouting Park Avenue in Georgetown to allow for an additional 500-foot expansion to the county's main runway is a top priority. County officials request transportation officials consider allocating long-term funding for the road realignment.

The report notes that the proposed DelDOT capital budget includes $100 million in state and federal funding improvements to east-west roads, including Route 24 and Route 26. “However, substantially more funding will be needed in the years ahead, particularly for rights of way acquisitions to allow for improvements on other major east-west roads,” the report states.

Those improvements include road widening, resurfacing of shoulders, intersection upgrades and better coordination of traffic lights. Particular attention is needed to the beach route encompassing Route 404/9 and Route 18, according to Sussex officials.

“Improvements to Sussex County's major north-south corridors, specially Route 113, remain a significant transportation need in order to address local traffic requirements, seasonal demands and interstate travel,” the report states.

Lawson said the priorities are important to Sussex residents, but getting the work done comes down to one factor – available funds.

DelDOT spends $30 million on area paving projects

Anyone who has driven on a major roadway in Sussex County is probably aware of paving work taking place. Still, many would be surprised to learn the extent of that work. Repaving is taking place, or has been completed, on some of the major beach routes, including Route 1, Route 404/9 and Route 54.

Delaware Department of Transportation has awarded more than $30 million in roadwork contracts in Sussex County this summer.

Several multimillion projects are under way, including a $6.4 million project to repave the northbound and southbound lanes of Route 1 from Nassau to Milford. Work is being done at night and is expected to be completed in September.

• A $7.2 million project covers repaving Route 404, from Route 18 to Route 113; Route 30, from Route 18 to Route 16; and Route 54, from the Maryland line to Waller Road.

• Included in a $3.2 million project is repaving of Route 5, from Route 24 to Route 404, and Kings Highway, from Route 1 to Freeman Highway.

• A $8.2 million project includes several roads in western Sussex in the Laurel and Bridgeville areas.

• DelDOT is also in the process of converting tar-and-chip roads to hot mix. Over the past year, the state spent $6.1 million to repave nearly 42 miles of roads throughout the county.

• Nearly 90 hot-mix patching projects have been completed at a cost of $1 million, and another 18 patching jobs on concrete and composite roads have been completed at a cost of $500,000. The majority of that work is fixing bumps in the road caused by excessive heat.

• Repairs to bridges on Cedar Branch Road in Slaughter Beach and on Sussex Highway near Greenwood cost $236,000, and repairs are scheduled to a bridge on Lighthouse Road.