“Restore The Corridor,” a major 3-year construction project that will span the 5 miles of I-95 that runs through the city of Wilmington, will begin preparations on February 12, 2021. The exact span of the road being revitalized extends from the 1-495/95 split to US 202.
The project seeks to maintain and preserve the 1-95 corridor, ensure a 30-year service life extension, enhance safety, and improve roadway efficiency to lessen traffic congestion.
Throughout the three year project, we will see the following improvements:
- Rehabilitation of 19 bridges and over 3 miles of pavement
- Reconstruction of 11 exit/entrance ramps
- Addition of a 4th lane on the Brandywine River Bridge Northbound
A handful of advance projects have already been completed in preparation, including the new on-ramp from 2nd Street to 1-95 SB.
What Can I Expect Starting February 12?
Traffic control measures on 1-95, including lane closures and safety partitions, will begin on February 12 and will continue through the end of the month, ultimately resulting in 1-95 NB being closed beginning March 1 for the start of construction.
There will be temporary nighttime closures of 1-95 South on February 13th (10 pm to 6:30 am) and 14th (10 pm to 4 am) for some of the traffic control preparations. Those traveling on 1-95 South will be asked to take the following detour:
- Get off 1-95 South at Exit 6 to N Jackson street
- Turn left onto Lancaster Ave to MLK Jr Blvd.
- Turn right onto S. Market street to connect to 495 South.
There will be further temporary nighttime closures of 1-95 South on February 16th and 17th (10 pm to 4 am) for some of the traffic control preparations. Those traveling on I-95 South will be asked to take the following detour:
- Take Exit 7B to North Jackson Street
- Follow to a turn left onto Lancaster Ave.
- Turn left onto N. Adams Street
- Turn left onto 2nd Street to access 1-95 South.
Once construction begins on March 1, Wilmington residents and commuters should experience traffic congestion. To avoid traffic congestion, it is strongly suggested to consider alternative routes of getting into the city, like taking 1-495, Route 13 and more. DelDOT will be taking over and adjusting 200 city light signals to help improve traffic flow during this time. DelDOT has also created a number of Incident Management “Playbooks” for accidents and other roadside emergencies.
Expected noise, dust/debris, and nighttime work are expected throughout this time as well, though the construction team will be doing their best to keep the roadways and surrounding communities as safe as possible.
To stay fully up to date with the “Restore The Corridor” project, follow DelDOT on facebook, or visit the “Restore The Corridor” website.
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