On January 10, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) announced that the new U.S. 301 mainline is now open to traffic. The 14-mile-long roadway improves safety and reduces congestion with the bypassing of 29 at-grade intersections, 18 of which are signalized, and numerous driveways with direct access to existing U.S. 301. The existing U.S. 301 will be converted to a local roadway, with truck restrictions in place except for local services. DelDOT estimates that the new route will reduce traffic by at least 20 percent on half of the region's local roads, and should significantly reduce truck traffic.
As a subconsultant to Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP, McCormick Taylor was responsible for:
- The design of Section 1C (the stretch of U.S. 301 from Norfolk Southern Railroad to SR 896 Boyds Corner Road)
- A large section of the highway design for Section 1A (SR 896 to SR 1), including the bridge over SR 896, and a concrete arch culvert under U.S. 301 to accommodate wildlife crossing
- Designing overhead sign structures for Sections 1B & 1A
The new U.S. 301 mainline is the first road in Delaware to use all-electronic tolling. DelDOT estimates that more than 14,000 vehicles will use the new toll road each day when initially opened, and increase to about 16,000 vehicles daily in the next three years.
Click here to read DelDOT’s press release.
