Governor John Carney, U.S. Senator Tom Carper, U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester and state and local officials from Newark joined Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski on Monday for a groundbreaking event to mark the start of the I-95/896 interchange improvements project.

“There’s nothing more important that keeping Delaware drivers safe. Since this interchange first opened 60 years ago, we have seen continued growth along the Route 896 corridor and the resulting higher traffic volumes that come with it. Modernizing this interchange will improve safety for the thousands of people who travel through this area every day,” said Governor John Carney.

“This is a great example of the kind of investments we can make here in the First State and across the nation when we invest in our infrastructure,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “Investments like the one we made right here, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which I was proud to lead to passage in the Senate, helps the flow of goods, and allows traffic to run more efficiently and safely. Ultimately, we are working to create jobs and make Delaware an attractive place to live and work.”

“Today’s groundbreaking marks the beginning of construction aimed to make Route 896 safer and stronger so that it can continue to support those who utilize it for life, work, and travel,” said Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud that half of the funding for this project is coming from federal funds – a testament to our commitment to investing in our transportation infrastructure across the state. But today isn’t just about investing in Route 896, it’s also about investing in the jobs and innovation that Route 896 connects us to through Newark-based businesses and the University of Delaware.”

Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski added, “There have been more than 700 crashes at this interchange since 2019 due to congestion and the current configuration. This project is necessary in order to greatly reduce these incidents that cause serious injuries or worse. We appreciate the input we received throughout the planning process from residents and the business community to develop a project that accomplishes our goal of minimizing crashes and keeping traffic moving.”

The construction project includes reconfiguration of existing interchange ramps, widening of I-95 northbound and southbound, widening and rehabilitation of existing bridges on I-95 and SR 896, and construction of new bridges, retaining walls, sign structures, and lighting. A separated path will also span the interchange providing a connection for bicycle and foot traffic from Newark to Glasgow.

The more than $280 million project is expected to be completed by the end 2025. Additional project information can be found at 95896improvements.com.

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.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has recently installed a wrong way driving detection and alert system on the Exit 95 off-ramp from SR 1 northbound to Bay Road and SR 10 (E Lebanon Road) near the Dover Air Force Base North Gate. The alert system is the first of its kind in Delaware to alert and correct wrong way drivers before they enter the highway.

When a wrong way vehicle is detected, red lights will flash on the Do Not Enter and Wrong Way signs facing the wrong way driver. The flashing lights are intended to alert the driver that they are traveling in the wrong direction and should turn around immediately. The two cameras included within the system will allow DelDOT’s 24/7 Transportation Management Center to dispatch Delaware State Police and post messages on variable message signs to alert motorists on northbound SR 1 to a possible wrong way driver.

In 2022, Delaware experienced a sharp increase in fatal wrong way driving crashes from years prior, with seven fatal crashes claiming 12 lives. As such, DelDOT has been working to implement improvements statewide to deter wrong way entries onto highways, including enhanced signing and pavement markings at freeway entrance ramps to provide ample warning of wrong way travel.

The project at this location is a pilot to test Intelligent Transportation System equipment designed to deter wrong way entries onto highways. DelDOT will monitor this system to determine the number of detected wrong way entry attempts and determine its effectiveness.

“We are working every day to make our roads safer. Every second counts when a vehicle enters a road and travels in the wrong direction and we will look to expand this system to other locations across the state should it prove to be a successful deterrent,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski.

Colonel Melissa Zebley, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police added, “Collisions resulting from wrong-way drivers are often catastrophic and deadly. The Delaware State Police are not strangers to these dangers as our agency has investigated numerous collisions, and tragically lost troopers stemming from wrong-way drivers. I’m thankful for our partnership with DelDOT, as we employ technology to increase highway safety in Delaware.”

Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski joined Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Carlos Monje and Department of Transportation officials from four other states this week to sign the Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) pledge.

The Equity in Infrastructure Project was created to improve public contracting practices by creating more opportunities for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) to build generational wealth and reduce the racial wealth gap by creating more prime, joint venture and equity contracting opportunities for these firms.

Pledge signers will work to increase the number, size and percentage of HUBs growing to prime contractors, participating in joint ventures or as equity participants by December 2025. A total of 13 states have now signed the EIP pledge.

Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) includes firms designated as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises, and Small Business Enterprises.

“As we continue the work to ensure that state government is inclusive, diverse, and representative of all Delawareans, we are also committed to doing the same with our business community who provide services for all our state agencies,” said Governor Carney.

“I am proud Delaware is one of 13 states to have signed this pledge. This furthers DelDOT’s commitment to equity in transportation by expanding opportunities for HUBs across our state,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski. “Over the course of this year we are implementing new training opportunities, streamlining our process, and creating specific contracts tailored towards advancing HUBs.”

“The Equity in Infrastructure Project is in an exciting initiative that will allow us to continue to build capacity among minority and women-owned businesses in our state,” added Wendy Henry, DelDOT’s Civil Rights Administrator. “We are confident that these actions will truly make a difference as we further create contracting opportunities.”

More information about Delaware’s DBE program can be found at deldot.gov/Business/dbe/

EIP was co-founded in 2021 by Denver International Airport CEO Phillip A. Washington, former US Deputy Secretary of Transportation John D. Porcari and others in anticipation of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and to advance President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and his executive order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities pledging to increase by 2026 the share of federal contracts that go to small and disadvantaged businesses.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and its partners collected more than 59,000 bags of trash in 2022 in the continuing effort to Keep DE Litter Free. The work was performed by DelDOT Maintenance & Operations employees, Adopt-A-Highway/Sponsor-A-Highway efforts, the Work A Day Earn A Pay Program and with help from the Delaware Department of the Corrections’ (DOC) inmate work program.

The Department and its partners also collected nearly 6,000 tires, 3,500 signs and 250 appliances were removed from alongside Delaware roads.

“We live in too beautiful a state to put up with the litter problem that we have,” commented Governor John Carney during his State of the State address on January 20, 2023. He added, “We shouldn’t have to rely on other people to pick up our trash. We should stop throwing it out the window in the first place. That’s really the fundamental message.”

“Since the launch of the “Keep DE Litter Free” initiative in 2019 more than 216,000 bags of trash have been removed from along our roads,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski. “Cleaning up trash is costly and time consuming and I appreciate the efforts of our employees, partners, and volunteers who spend a significant amount of time each year collecting trash and items that are discarded around our state.”

To discover how you can join the efforts to help Keep DE Litter Free visit governor.delaware.gov. Businesses and organizations interested in adopting or sponsoring a highway through DelDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway or Sponsor-A-Highway programs can apply now at DelDOT.gov.