Delaware Route 1 Business

Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) is the longest numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Delaware. The route runs from the Maryland state line in Fenwick Island, Sussex County, where the road continues south into that state as Maryland Route 528 (MD 528), north to an interchange with Interstate 95 (I-95) in Christiana, New Castle County, where the road continues north as part of DE 7. Between Fenwick Island and Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Kent County, DE 1 is a multilane divided highway with at-grade intersections and occasional interchanges. The route heads north through the Delaware Beaches resort area along the Atlantic Ocean before it runs northwest through rural areas, turning north at Milford to continue to Dover. Upon reaching Dover, DE 1 becomes the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, a freeway that is partially tolled. Between Dover and Tybouts Corner, DE 1 parallels U.S. Route 13 (US 13), crossing over and featuring interchanges with it multiple times. Past Tybouts Corner, the freeway heads north parallel to DE 7 to the terminus of DE 1 in Christiana. DE 1 serves as the main north-south state highway in Delaware, connecting the Delaware Beaches with the Dover and Wilmington areas.

DE 1 was first designated in the 1970s from Fenwick Island north to US 113 in Milford, replacing a portion of DE 14 south of Milford and following the newly-constructed Milford Bypass. DE 14 between Fenwick Island and Milford had been built as a state highway in the 1920s and 1930s and was widened into a divided highway between the 1950s and 1970s. In the 1980s, a controlled-access "Relief Route" of US 13 was proposed between Dover and the Wilmington area in order to relieve that route of beach traffic. This proposed highway was incorporated into DE 1 in 1988, with the route extended north concurrent with US 113 between Milford and Dover to connect to the Relief Route. The DE 1 freeway between Dover Air Force Base and Christiana opened in multiple stages between 1991 and 2003, and at a cost of $900 million was the largest public works project in Delaware history. The concurrent US 113 designation between Milford and Dover Air Force Base was removed in 2004. Upgrades continue to be made to DE 1 such as the construction and improvement of interchanges as well as widening portions of the road.

Route description

DE 1 begins at MD 528 at the Maryland state line in Fenwick Island, where it heads north along a multilane divided highway called Coastal Highway through the Delaware Beaches resort area along the Atlantic Ocean, crossing the Indian River Inlet on the Indian River Inlet Bridge. In Dewey Beach, the route turns northwest away from the ocean, running through commercial development from Rehoboth Beach to Nassau. DE 1 forms a concurrency with US 9 from Carpenters Corner to Nassau. Past Nassau, DE 1 leaves the Delaware Beaches resort area and runs northwest through rural areas in northern Sussex County. The route bypasses Milford to the east along the Milford Bypass, crossing into Kent County. After an interchange with the northern terminus of US 113, DE 1 heads north along Bay Road through more rural areas, passing east of Frederica. The route becomes a freeway near Magnolia and turns into a toll road called the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway while passing Dover Air Force Base. DE 1 bypasses the city of Dover to the east and begins to run parallel to US 13. The route passes east of Smyrna and enters New Castle County, where it crosses US 13 multiple times and heads west of Odessa. The road has an interchange with the northern terminus of the US 301 toll road in Biddles Corner. The toll road portion of the route ends before it crosses the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal on the Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge in St. Georges. DE 1 becomes concurrent with US 13 from Wrangle Hill to Tybouts Corner, where US 13 splits to the northeast. The DE 1 freeway heads north and meets US 40 in Bear before it comes to Christiana, where DE 7 joins the route. The DE 1 designation ends at an interchange with I-95 and DE 7 continues north along the freeway to the DE 58 interchange, from which point DE 7 turns into a divided highway with at-grade intersections.

DE 1 serves as a major route connecting northern Delaware to the Delaware Beaches and sees heavy traffic in the summer months. The peak travel periods in the summer are southbound on Friday evenings, both directions on Saturday afternoons, and northbound on Sunday afternoons. DE 1 serves as a primary hurricane evacuation route from the Delaware Beaches and points along the Delaware Bay to inland locations in northern Delaware. The sections of DE 1 between DE 12 in Frederica and Clapham Road in Little Heaven and between Trap Shooters Road in Magnolia and DE 9 near Dover Air Force Base are designated as part of the Delaware Bayshore Byway, a Delaware Byway and National Scenic Byway. The section of DE 1 between the south end of the DE 7 concurrency and the northern terminus at I-95 in Christiana is part of the Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, a National Historic Trail. DE 1 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 116,110 vehicles at the US 13 interchange north of Smyrna to a low of 10,590 vehicles at the southern boundary of South Bethany. The entire length of DE 1 is part of the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.

Fenwick Island to Nassau

DE 1 begins at the Maryland state line south of the Delaware Beaches town of Fenwick Island in Sussex County, where the road continues south into the town of Ocean City, Maryland, as MD 528. From this point, DE 1 heads north on Coastal Highway, a four-lane divided highway. A block after the state line, the route intersects the eastern terminus of DE 54. The road continues north into the town limits of Fenwick Island and heads through business areas with some residences a short distance to the west of the Atlantic Ocean. DE 1 passes west of the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce Information Center as it leaves Fenwick Island and enters Fenwick Island State Park, running along a narrow strip of land with the Little Assawoman Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The route heads past a small area of residential development before it goes through more of the state park, running to the west of a fire control tower from World War II. The road runs through the community of York Beach and enters the town of South Bethany, where it passes through residential areas. DE 1 leaves South Bethany and heads into commercial areas in the community of Middlesex Beach, briefly curving northwest before turning north again. The route continues into the town of Bethany Beach, where the road name changes to Delaware Avenue. DE 1 runs past residences and comes to an intersection with DE 26, which heads east into the commercial center of Bethany Beach. The road curves northeast and leaves Bethany Beach as it passes to the east of a Delaware National Guard training site. Continuing north, DE 1 becomes Coastal Highway again and heads past the community of Sussex Shores, running between wooded areas to the west and beachfront homes to the east. Farther north, the route crosses into Delaware Seashore State Park, where it travels along a strip of land between the Indian River Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. DE 1 comes to a right-in/right-out access point to the South Inlet area of the park before it crosses over the Indian River Inlet on the Indian River Inlet Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge.

Past the bridge, the road passes to the east of United States Coast Guard Station Indian River Inlet and the North Inlet area of the park, continuing north through more of the state park between the Rehoboth Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The route travels near the Indian River Life-Saving Station and two fire control towers from World War II before it leaves Delaware Seashore State Park and heads west of the residential community of Indian Beach prior to entering the town of Dewey Beach. At this point, DE 1 runs through business areas. The route comes to an intersection with the southern terminus of DE 1A, which heads north toward the city of Rehoboth Beach. At this intersection, DE 1 turns northwest away from the Atlantic Ocean and passes through residential areas with some commercial development. The road leaves Dewey Beach and continues to a right-in/right-out interchange with DE 1B, which heads north into Rehoboth Beach. Immediately after, the route crosses over the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal on a high-level, twin-span crossing and enters commercial areas. After the bridge, the road has a southbound ramp connecting to South Timberlake Trail and a northbound right-in/right-out serving Oyster House Road, which allows U-turns from the southbound direction to the northbound direction via South Timberlake Trail and Oyster House Road. At this point, the route gains a southbound combined right turn, bus, and bicycle lane.

DE 1 intersects the northern terminus of DE 1A, at which point it widens to eight lanes, with three travel lanes in each direction plus a combined right turn, bus, and bicycle lane in both directions. The road passes more businesses, with the Rehoboth Avenue Extension service road running parallel to the northbound lanes to the Shuttle Road/Sea Blossom Boulevard intersection. Shuttle Road heads south to the Rehoboth Beach Park and Ride, a park and ride facility serving DART First State buses. Following this, the roadway passes between two sections of the Tanger Outlets Rehoboth Beach outlet mall. Farther northwest, the route heads to the northeast of the Rehoboth Mall and comes to an intersection with the eastern terminus of DE 24 and the southern terminus of DE 1D in the community of Midway. DE 1 passes to the northeast of another section of the Tanger Outlets as it is lined with more businesses. In the community of Carpenters Corner, the route intersects US 9, which travels northeast to provide access to the city of Lewes, Cape Henlopen State Park, and the Cape May–Lewes Ferry across the Delaware Bay. At this point, DE 1 becomes concurrent with US 9, and the two routes run through woods before curving west past businesses and passing north of the Lewes Transit Center park and ride serving DART First State buses. At the Five Points intersection, US 9 splits from DE 1 by heading west concurrent with DE 404, with access to the northern termini of DE 23 and DE 1D, while US 9 Bus. heads northeast toward Lewes. At this intersection, access from eastbound US 9/DE 404 to northbound DE 1 is provided by a reverse jughandle. Past Five Points, DE 1 narrows back to four lanes and heads south of a park and pool lot located at a church before it bypasses the community of Nassau to the southwest, curving northwest to pass over the Georgetown-Lewes Trail on a bridge.

Nassau to Dover Air Force Base

After the bridge over the trail, DE 1 leaves the Delaware Beaches resort area and heads into a mix of farm fields and residential and commercial development, coming to a junction with Minos Conaway Road and traveling to the northeast of Red Mill Pond. The road intersects Cave Neck Road in the community of Overbrook and passes northeast of Eagle Crest Aerodrome and the Hudson Fields event venue as it continues through more agricultural areas with some residential subdivisions and woods. The route crosses the Broadkill River and runs to the southwest of a golf course before it comes to a junction with DE 16, which heads west to the town of Milton and east to the community of Broadkill Beach along the Delaware Bay. This is the northernmost signalized intersection on DE 1. Following this, the highway continues through farmland and woodland to the southwest of the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, reaching an intersection with the northern terminus of DE 5; this intersection has no access from northbound DE 1 to DE 5. Immediately after this intersection, the road travels across Waples Mill Pond along the Primehook Creek and runs north-northwest through more agricultural areas, crossing Slaughter Creek. The route curves northwest as it bypasses the community of Argos Corner to the southwest. Past here, DE 1 crosses Cedar Creek and passes near a couple residential subdivisions before intersecting Johnson Road. A short distance later, the road reaches an interchange connecting to DE 30 northeast of Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus. After this interchange, the route comes to a northbound exit and southbound entrance with the southern terminus of DE 1 Bus., which heads northwest into the city of Milford. At this point, DE 1 curves north and becomes the Milford Bypass, which heads around the eastern part of the city. The route passes between residential development to the west and farmland to the east before turning northwest into wooded areas and coming to a diamond interchange with DE 36.

Past this interchange, DE 1 crosses the Mispillion River into Kent County and continues northwest to an interchange with the eastern terminus of DE 14 serving downtown Milford. The road runs between businesses to the southwest and a wooded residential neighborhood to the northeast, reaching a southbound exit and a northbound exit and entrance with Northeast 10th Street; there is no access across DE 1 at this interchange. The route passes near more development before it comes to a southbound exit and northbound entrance with the northern terminus of US 113 and DE 1 Bus. at the northern end of Milford. Past this interchange, DE 1 becomes Bay Road and crosses Swan Creek to the east of Tub Mill Pond before it runs through a mix of farm fields and residential and commercial areas. The route reaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with Thompsonville Road and continues through farmland with some woods and development, crossing Old Baptist Church Branch. The road curves northwest and comes to an interchange with Frederica Road, which heads northwest to the town of Frederica, as it passes southwest of the DE Turf Sports Complex and a park and ride lot that are served by the interchange. DE 1 bends to the north and bypasses Frederica to the east, crossing the Murderkill River in marshland. The route has an interchange with the eastern terminus of DE 12, which heads south into Frederica. The road runs north through agricultural areas, passing to the west of Barratt's Chapel, before it reaches the community of Little Heaven. Here, DE 1 comes to an interchange that connects to Bowers Beach Road, which leads east to the town of Bowers Beach along the Delaware Bay, and Clapham Road, which heads northwest toward the town of Magnolia and the community of Rising Sun; at this interchange, Old Beach Road serves as a service road to the west while Little Heaven Road serves as a service road to the east. Following this, the road runs through farmland with some woods before coming to a right-in/right-out interchange with Trap Shooters Road, a road that connects to Barkers Landing Road, which provides access to Magnolia. At this point, the route transitions into a four-lane freeway. DE 1 crosses the St. Jones River in marshland on the Barkers Landing Bridge and continues north to a diamond interchange with the southern terminus of DE 9, at which point it enters the city of Dover. At this interchange, the route turns northwest and passes between an asphalt plant and sand plant to the southwest and the runways of Dover Air Force Base to the northeast, with a southbound right-in/right-out serving the asphalt plant and sand plant.

Dover Air Force Base to Christiana

Along the Dover Air Force Base boundary, DE 1 becomes the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. The road comes to a northbound exit and entrance which serves the Commercial Gate of Dover Air Force Base. The freeway passes between the air base golf course to the southwest and various base buildings to the northeast before it reaches a diamond interchange with Old Lebanon Road that provides access to the Main Gate to the northeast and base housing to the southwest. After this, the route continues between base residences and the main part of the base prior to reaching a northbound exit and southbound entrance at the eastern terminus of DE 10 and Bay Road that serves the North Gate of Dover Air Force Base; the route becomes a toll road at this interchange. DE 1 runs north along the west side of Bay Road before it passes over it, where there is a southbound exit and entrance and a northbound entrance that serves to provide access to DE 10 from southbound DE 1 and to northbound DE 1 from DE 10. Immediately after this is a southbound exit and northbound entrance with the Puncheon Run Connector freeway, which heads west toward US 13. The freeway continues north along the eastern edge of Dover and comes to a southbound exit and northbound entrance at DE 8, which provides access to downtown Dover to the west and the town of Little Creek to the east. Past this interchange, the highway turns northwest through rural areas, crossing the Little River before it comes to the Dover mainline toll plaza. DE 1 passes to the northeast of Dover Motor Speedway and the Bally's Dover hotel, casino, and harness racetrack as it runs between campgrounds belonging to the speedway. Past this, the route comes to a trumpet interchange that provides access to US 13 and Scarborough Road, serving the northern part of Dover. This interchange has toll plazas on the southbound exit and northbound entrance. Following this interchange, the toll road leaves Dover and crosses Dyke Branch as it continues through wooded areas with some fields and nearby development. The route heads to the east of the town of Cheswold, passing under DE 42 without an interchange and crossing Alston Branch. The freeway curves north and heads across the Leipsic River. DE 1 continues through rural areas a short distance to the east of US 13 before it reaches the town of Smyrna. Here, the freeway comes to a trumpet interchange serving US 13 at the southern edge of town, with tolls on the southbound exit and northbound entrance. The highway runs along the eastern edge of Smyrna and crosses Mill Creek, heading between residential development to the west and rural land to the east and passing under DE 6 with no access.

DE 1 curves northwest and crosses the Duck Creek into New Castle County, where it heads through farmland with some woods. The road features a virtual weigh station for trucks in the northbound direction, where trucks can be weighed at highway speeds. The route crosses US 13 at an interchange to the north of Smyrna, with access to the Smyrna Rest Area along US 13 to the south. The tollway continues northwest through rural areas to the west of US 13, curving north and crossing over Sandom Branch and US 13 to briefly travel along the east side of the U.S. highway. The freeway crosses the Blackbird Creek prior to another bridge over US 13 to again run to the west of it as it passes to the east of the town of Townsend, crossing Herring Run along this stretch. DE 1 heads north and closely follows along the west side of US 13 as it runs through more rural areas with residential development to the east. The freeway turns northwest away from US 13 and crosses the Appoquinimink River, passing to the northeast of a residential neighborhood before coming to a diamond interchange with DE 299, which provides access to the town of Middletown to the west and the town of Odessa and US 13 to the east. Past this interchange, DE 1 curves northeast and passes over US 13 again before it turns north and crosses Drawyer Creek. The freeway continues north a short distance to the east of US 13 past residential subdivisions as it comes to a diamond interchange with Pole Bridge Road, which heads west to intersect US 13 and the southern terminus of DE 896 in the community of Boyds Corner. This interchange has tolls on the northbound exit and southbound entrance. After this interchange, DE 1 curves northwest and crosses over US 13, turning north and reaching the Biddles Corner mainline toll plaza.

After the toll plaza, DE 1 widens to six lanes and comes to a southbound exit and northbound entrance with the northern terminus of the US 301 toll road. Immediately after, the route has a southbound exit and northbound entrance providing access to US 13 in the community of St. Georges; the southbound exit connects to US 13 by way of Lorewood Grove Road while the northbound entrance consists of a direct ramp from US 13 starting from that route's intersection with Port Penn Road that merges into the ramp from US 301. This interchange marks the north end of the toll road portion of DE 1. The freeway turns northwest and crosses the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal and the Michael N. Castle Trail on the north bank of the canal on the cable-stayed Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge. The highway passes through a mix of fields and residential subdivisions and curves north, crossing Dragon Creek before coming to a diverging diamond interchange with US 13 and DE 72 near the community of Wrangle Hill to the west of the city of Delaware City. At this point, US 13 becomes concurrent with DE 1, with the freeway running through farmland and passing over Norfolk Southern's Reybold Industrial Track railroad line and DE 7 without access to the west of PBF Energy's Delaware City Refinery. US 13/DE 1 cross Red Lion Creek and continue concurrent to the community of Tybouts Corner, where DE 1 splits at an interchange to remain as a freeway and US 13 heads northeast as a divided highway with at-grade intersections. Within this interchange is the northern terminus of DE 71 at US 13; southbound DE 1 has a direct ramp to DE 71. Past Tybouts Corner, DE 1 narrows to four lanes and travels north past residential subdivisions, passing over Norfolk Southern's New Castle Secondary railroad line prior to a partial cloverleaf interchange at US 40 in Bear. The highway gains a third auxiliary lane in each direction and continues north to a diamond interchange with DE 273 in Christiana, where the auxiliary lanes end. Past this interchange, the freeway becomes six lanes and runs through wooded areas, crossing the Christina River before it comes to a partial cloverleaf interchange with DE 7 and Mall Road that serves the Christiana Mall and adjacent retail development to the east of the road. At this point, DE 7 joins DE 1 on the four-lane freeway, passing to the west of the shopping mall before DE 1 comes to its northern terminus at a modified cloverleaf interchange with I-95 (Delaware Turnpike) that has flyover ramps from northbound DE 1 to northbound I-95 and from southbound I-95 to southbound DE 1; the flyover ramps split from DE 1 south of the DE 7 interchange. Past I-95, the freeway continues north as part of DE 7 to a partial cloverleaf interchange with DE 58; this interchange uses the exit numbers from DE 1. In the southbound direction, a collector/distributor road serves both DE 58 (intersecting that road at-grade) and I-95. Past DE 58, DE 7 continues north as a divided highway with at-grade intersections.

Tolls

The Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway portion of DE 1 is a toll road using a barrier toll system, with mainline toll plazas at Dover and Biddles Corner and ramp tolls at exit 104 for US 13 in North Dover (southbound exit and northbound entrance), exit 114 for US 13 in South Smyrna (southbound exit and northbound entrance), and exit 142 for DE 896 in Boyds Corner (northbound exit and southbound entrance). Tolls may be paid with cash or E-ZPass. The mainline plazas are staffed by toll collectors and also feature high-speed E-ZPass lanes, whereas the ramp plazas are unattended; cash users here must pay by depositing exact change in a basket. As of August 1, 2014, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) charges a total of $2 on weekdays and $6 on weekends for passenger vehicles to travel the entire length of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, with the mainline toll plazas each charging passenger vehicles $1 on weekdays and $3 on weekends. Weekend tolls are in effect from 7:00 pm Friday until 11:00 pm Sunday. DelDOT charges passenger vehicles $0.50 for the ramp tolls at exit 104 and exit 142 and $0.25 for the ramp tolls at exit 114. A discount is available for motorists with E-ZPass exiting northbound and entering southbound at exits 104 and 114 north of the Dover toll plaza as well as entering northbound and exiting southbound at exit 142 south of the Biddles Corner toll plaza. This discount is $0.50 for passenger vehicles at exits 104 and 142 and $0.25 for passenger vehicles at exit 114. There is also a frequent user plan in which E-ZPass users who make at least 30 trips in 30 days receive a 50% discount on tolls.

Tolls at the mainline toll plazas were originally $1 for passenger vehicles the whole week. E-ZPass became operational along DE 1 on April 6, 1999, and the Biddles Corner mainline toll plaza opened with high-speed E-ZPass lanes in the same year. On May 24, 2004, a dedication ceremony was held marking the completion of construction of high-speed E-ZPass lanes at the Dover mainline toll plaza, with DelDOT secretary Nathan Hayward III and Dover Mayor Stephen Speed in attendance; the lanes opened to traffic on May 27. On October 1, 2007, tolls on weekends at the mainline toll plazas were increased to $2 for passenger vehicles in order to fund statewide transportation projects. Commercial vehicle tolls also increased by $1 on weekdays and $2 on weekends at this time. On August 1, 2014, the weekend tolls at Dover and Biddles Corner increased to $3 for passenger vehicles in order to again provide funding to transportation projects across the state.

History

South of Dover

The portion of DE 1 between Milford and Little Heaven was initially built as part of the DuPont Highway, a highway that spanned the state from Selbyville north to Wilmington. The highway was proposed as a modern road that would improve travel and bring economic development to Kent and Sussex counties as part of a philanthropic measure. The DuPont Highway was to be modeled after the great boulevards of Europe and was to have a wide right-of-way consisting of a wide roadway for automobiles flanked by dual trolley lines, wide roadways for heavy vehicles, wide unpaved roadways for horses, and sidewalks. Utilities were to be buried underground below the horse roadways. The highway was also to include agricultural experimental stations and monuments for future surveying. Trolley revenues would help pay for the construction of the roadway. After portions of the DuPont Highway were built, these portions were planned to be turned over to the state at no charge. Milner, pp. 6, 8.

In 1911, the Coleman DuPont Road, Inc. was established and construction on the highway began. By 1912, construction was interrupted by litigation challenging both the constitutionality of the law establishing the road building corporation and the need for DuPont to acquire such a large right-of-way. Milner, p. 13. DuPont would narrow the proposed right-of-way to in order to compromise with opponents of the highway in addition to offering landowners whose properties were affected by the highway five times the assessed value of the land five years after the highway was completed. Milner, p. 10. The DuPont Highway would end up being built on a alignment with a wide roadway. The DuPont Highway north of Milford would be both designed and constructed by Delaware State Highway Department (DSHD). Milner, p. 14. A portion of the road north of Milford and from Frederica to Little Heaven were completed by 1920. The portion of the DuPont Highway from north of Milford to Frederica was under construction in 1920 and completed by 1923, the same year the last section of the entire Selbyville–Wilmington highway was completed near Odessa. Milner, p. 16. When the U.S. Highway System was designated in 1926, this portion of the DuPont Highway became a part of US 113.

The portion of DE 1 between Little Heaven and Dover Air Force Base was built as part of a Dover bypass for US 113. This bypass was built atop existing Bay Road north of the present-day DE 9 interchange and on a new alignment south of there. The new highway between Little Heaven and Bay Road would cross the St. Jones River at a site called Barkers Landing. Between December 1931 and the end of 1933, DSHD constructed a causeway across of the marsh on the east bank of the river, a process that required multiple applications of fill dirt

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