From left to right: Jana Tidwell from AAA Mid-Atlantic, Delaware State Police Sergeant Heather Pepper, Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long, Daria Benson and family (DelDOT), Tom Neubauer (Kiewit), Jason Sacco (DelDOT), Sarah Powell and family (DelDOT), Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski at NWZAW event in Wilmington

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) encourages everyone to take part in National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), April 11, 2022, through April 15, 2022, and to wear orange on Go Orange Day, April 13 as a reminder to use always caution and drive carefully in and around work zones.

On Monday, Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski, Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long, representatives from AAA Mid-Atlantic, the Delaware State Police, and Kiewit gathered in Wilmington adjacent to the I-95 Restore the Corridor work zone to remind motorists the importance of slowing down and paying attention when traveling through work zones. The theme of this year’s campaign: Drive Like Your Family Works Here. If we all work together, we can achieve zero deaths on our roads and in our work zones.

“Keeping our work zones safe is a collective effort,” said Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “Together by minimizing distractions, reducing our speed, and obeying posted signs while driving through work zones we can save lives. Keeping our roads, highways, and bridges safe should be all our DelDOT crews are focused on. They should not have to worry about whether or not they’ll make it home for dinner.”

“On any given day, we have hundreds of DelDOT employees and contractors working on our roadways making improvements to keep you safe. We also have our toll collectors working in the middle of our busiest roadways serving our customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski. “This year’s theme is Drive Like Your Family Works Here. So please when you see a construction sign, our employees working along the roadway or going through our toll booths, slow down and Drive Like Your Family Works Here because we don’t ever want to lose a member of our DelDOT Family.”

April 13, 2022 starting at 10:00 am, Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski and representatives from the Delaware Office of Highway Safety and Mumford & Miller Construction will gather for another NWZAW event at American Legion #28 at 31768 Legion Road in Millsboro, Delaware.

Honor the families who have lost loved ones in work zone crashes on Go Orange Day Wednesday, April 13, 2022, and when passing through the Newark, Biddles, and Dover Toll Plazas or driving over the Indian River Inlet Bridge (Charles Cullen Bridge) remember the lights shine orange during April as a reminder of the role we all play in work zone safety.

NWZAW is held in April each year at the traditional start of the construction season when the number of works on our nation’s roadways increases. NWZAW began in 1999 when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) signed a Memorandum of Agreement pledging to increase public awareness of work zone safety issues through a national media campaign. Since then, awareness has continued to grow, with state agencies and other organizations sponsoring high-visibility education and outreach initiatives.

Discover other actions DelDOT is taking to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on Delaware’s roadways with the Delaware Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Click here to access this multi-agency approach that utilizes education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency medical service strategies, or visit DelDOT.gov.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) in partnership with the Delaware State Police announce that beginning Monday, January 17, 2022, the pilot Electronic Speed Safety Program will be active only in the I-95 construction zone in Wilmington and will last until the end of the project. The goal of the pilot program is to reduce work zone speeds and crashes, change driver behavior, and improve work zone safety for workers and motorists. In 2021, there were 423 crashes in the I-95 work zone in Delaware, an increase of 49 percent in the same area from 2019.

The first 30 days of the program will be a warning period. After that warning notices will be mailed to motorists for the first violation of exceeding the posted work zone speed limit, and all subsequent violations will result in a violation notice. Registered vehicle owners will receive a base violation of $20.00 and an additional amount is added for each mile per hour over the posted work zone speed limit in accordance with Del. C. §4169(c).

For example, if the captured violation occurs at a speed of 58 mph, the speed violation is $20.00 plus an additional $13.00 which accounts for $1.00 for each mile per hour over the 45-mph posted work zone speed limit, and the assessment of other fees as set forth in Delaware Code for a total of $74.50. These violations are civil penalties only and no points will be assessed to driver’s licenses.

“We continue to see motorists traveling at speeds well above the posted speed limit and too many crashes are occurring in the construction zone,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski.” We need to utilize all the tools available to reduce crashes, and this program is about protecting everyone’s safety.”

Colonel Melissa Zebley of the Delaware State Police added, “The sharp increase in collisions within the construction zone has been concerning and has put the motoring public and individuals in the work zone at risk. Recognizing that construction zones are problematic areas to conduct traditional speed enforcement, we believe this program will encourage motorists to slow down for the sake of the highway workers and their fellow motorists alike.”

Use of automated speed enforcement was granted by the Delaware General Assembly in Section 142 of the FY22 Bond Bill as a pilot and only for Restore the Corridor work zone. More information about the program can be found at www.restorethecorridor.com.

Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases and current and anticipated staffing shortages, customers who require Division of Motor Vehicle (DMV) services are strongly encouraged to utilize the myDMV online portal(mydmv.delaware.gov) which offers more than 20 services—including renewal of Delaware Driver License/ID, renewing vehicle registration, and changing one’s home address. The Division is also encouraging exclusive use of drive through services at DMV locations statewide.

In an effort to reduce capacity inside the DMV lobbies, a text messaging notification feature will be implemented starting Tuesday, January 4. With this feature, DMV customers will be able to wait in their vehicles until a text message invites them into the lobby when it is their turn to be served.
In addition, all late fees for vehicle registration and driver license renewals will once again be waived until further notice. Individuals are encouraged to wait until February if they require in-person renewals.

Customers still requiring to visit a DMV facility should expect longer than usual wait times.

To further protect customers and employees, all DMV locations continue to increase cleaning and disinfecting efforts as well as implementing additional precautionary measures. As a reminder, all customers visiting a DMV location are still required to wear a mask inside the facility.

For more information on the state’s ongoing response to the pandemic, visit de.gov/coronavirus.

Motorists who use the Route 141 corridor are receiving an early holiday gift as a decade of work involving multiple projects comes to an end on the Route 141 corridor from Route 4 in Newport to Route 13 in New Castle. This is one of the most heavily traveled non-interstate roads in Delaware and required extensive work to address safety and capacity needs and replace ageing infrastructure.

All major work for the most recent project from the I-95 interchange to Jay Drive, which began in August 2019, has been completed ahead of the original spring 2022 completion date by the contractor, R.E. Pierson.

Improvements include:
• Complete reconstruction of the I-95/141 interchange consisting of eight interchange ramps and four bridges
• Constructing an additional left turn lane from Commons Boulevard to Route 141 northbound
• Constructing additional Route 141 through lanes at the Commons Boulevard intersection
• Pedestrian and transit infrastructure improvements
• Full depth pavement reconstruction and drainage improvements
• Rehabilitation of the Route 141 Newport viaduct
• Rehabilitation of the Route 141 bridge over Route 13

“In total, DelDOT has invested nearly $160 million to improve safety, traffic flow, and modernize this more than 50 year-old corridor,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski. “We appreciate the patience of motorists as our contractors have worked to make these needed repairs and improvements while maintaining traffic through this corridor and I am grateful to the work of our DelDOT team and contracting community for their efforts to complete these projects. ”

Governor John Carney added, “These projects reflect what we are doing across Delaware, improving our infrastructure to ensure it is safe, well-maintained, and meets the needs of the traveling public. We have invested $2.5 billion in our capital transportation program statewide over the past four years and will invest another $4 billion in the next six years as we continue to modernize and improve our infrastructure for all modes of transportation.”

The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has a new enhanced website page, de.gov/veterans, that highlights military and veteran services, including additional resources.

DMV has previously offered resources for active members of the military and veterans, however, recent changes to the DMV website page and rebranding of the Veteran Services brochure were made to increase awareness and participation for the military community.

“As the home of the Dover Air Force Base, the Delaware National Guard, and thousands of active duty service members and veterans, we are grateful to all who serve and proud to continue to work to support our military community during their active service and beyond,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski.

Among these services is “Heroes on the Highway,” a Commercial Driver License (CDL) program designed to assist qualified, active military and recently discharged veterans with obtaining their CDL. Full eligibility requirements, as well as all DMV-related military and veteran services, can be found at online at de.gov/veterans.

This initiative was created to assist in securing local employment for veterans, says DMV Director Jana Simpler. “The Division strives to support our dedicated military and veteran community in Delaware. From navigating residency guidelines while on active duty to obtaining a CDL after discharge, we are here to help. Thank you to our military and veterans for your service to our country and our state.”

Enhancements include a new landing page for military and veterans services and an updated informational brochure.