Governor John Carney and Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski were joined by the state’s congressional delegation, Mayor Mike Purzycki, and representatives from the contracting community to celebrate the completion of the $200 million I-95 Restore the Corridor project. The project began in February 2021 and major construction was completed in November 2022 – four months ahead of the original schedule.
As part of the project, more than a million square feet of bridge deck were repaired, more than two miles of bridge joints and three miles of concrete bridge barrier were replaced.
DelDOT began planning and design for this project in 2014. In addition to rehabilitating the road surface and bridge structures, safety issues were addressed with the new Second Street on-ramp to I-95 southbound to provide a longer merge area and the widening of the I-95 northbound Brandywine River Bridge to provide a dedicated lane for traffic entering from Delaware Avenue. All existing lighting was also replaced with new LED lights to improve visibility, and a high friction surface treatment was applied on I-95 southbound approaching the Brandywine River Bridge which was also a location of frequent crashes.
“Maintaining and improving our infrastructure is critical for our communities and our economy. These projects are not easy, and I am grateful to the DelDOT team and the contractors for completing this job well and ahead of schedule,” Governor John Carney commented.
Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski added, “This was a fantastic team effort with planning and preparation for this project beginning back in 2014, and we had dozens of DelDOT employees from across the Department engaged in this project from its early stages to the end of construction. The Kiewit Corporation and our local contracting community did an outstanding job completing this work that will ensure I-95 through Wilmington is safe and well-maintained for decades to come.”
“Tens of thousands of motorists use the I-95 corridor, and this project will keep the efficiency and safety of this highway going for at least another 30 years,” said Senator Carper, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee in the U.S. Senate. “This project is a great example of what we can do to support the economy when we invest in infrastructure, and there are a lot more of these investments to come thanks to the once-in-a-generation investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that we passed last year.”
“For years, I’ve heard from Delawareans about the urgent need for increased investment to fix our state’s roads and bridges,” said Senator Coons. “With the completion of the I-95 Restore the Corridor project, Delaware has once again shown its transportation and infrastructure industry is among the best at completing missions ahead of schedule and under budget. Every investment like this one means more good-paying jobs for Delawareans and improved roadways for our residents and commercial economic drivers.”
“Today, we celebrate the end of major construction of the Delaware Department of Transportation’s (DelDOT) ‘Restore the Corridor’ project that repaired a 5-mile stretch of I-95 that so many Delawareans utilize every day to get to work, to bring their kids to school, or travel for a family vacation. And because of this project, the service life of this portion of I-95 will be extended for another 30 years,” said Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud that DelDOT has worked quickly to complete this project with a focus on repairing our transportation infrastructure, improving our quality of life, and building community partnerships along the way – helping us strengthen the City of Wilmington and our state.”
I-95 was originally built in 1964, and portions of the roadway and bridges were widened in 1978, at which time several on and off ramps were also constructed. The scope of the Restore the Corridor project included a five-mile section, starting at the I-495/I-95 split and ending north of the I-95 Brandywine River bridge at the Route 202 interchange. The project encompassed19 bridges including the mile-long Wilmington Viaduct which spans the Riverfront area, arterial and local streets, a bridge over the Amtrak rail lines and the repair of the Brandywine River Bridge.