U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a
US Highway
The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...
running from
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...
, north to
Biddles Corner, Delaware. In the state of
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
, the route runs across
New Castle County
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...
from the
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
state line southwest of
Middletown northeast to its northern terminus at
Delaware Route 1
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 ...
(DE 1) in Biddles Corner, just south of the
Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge
The Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge (originally the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge and also referred to as the Roth Bridge) is a concrete and steel cable-stayed bridge that spans the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal near St. Georges, Delaware. ...
that carries DE 1 over the
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal (C&D Canal) is a -long, -wide and -deep ship canal that connects the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay in the states of Delaware and Maryland in the United States.
In the mid‑17th century, mapmaker Augus ...
in
St. Georges. US 301 in Delaware is a four-lane
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
that is
tolled and is designated as the First Responders Memorial Highway. The toll road has interchanges with
DE 299 west of Middletown,
DE 71 north of Middletown, and Jamison Corner Road. The freeway uses
all-electronic tolling
Open road tolling (ORT), also called all-electronic tolling, cashless tolling, or free-flow tolling, is the collection of tolls on toll roads without the use of toll booths. An electronic toll collection system is usually used instead. The ma ...
, with tolls paid by
E-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll collection system used on toll roads, toll bridges, and toll tunnels in the Eastern United States, Midwestern United States, and Southern United States. The E-ZPass Interagency Group (IAG) consists of member agencie ...
or
toll-by-plate
Video tolling (sometimes referred to as video billing, toll by plate, pay by mail, or pay by plate) is a form of electronic toll collection, which uses video or still images of a vehicle's license plate to identify a vehicle liable to pay a road ...
. A mainline toll gantry is located north of the Maryland state line while there are ramp tolls on the southbound exits and northbound entrances at the three interchanges.
US 301 has moved numerous times throughout its history in Delaware, often following radically different alignments. Prior to 1959, US 301 ended in Maryland, but it was extended into Delaware from Maryland that year. At that time, it ran from the Maryland state line northeast to a terminus at an intersection with
US 13,
US 40, and the southern terminus of
US 202 in
State Road
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
. In 1964, US 301 was extended north along US 13/US 40 to an interchange with
I-295 Interstate 295 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States:
*Interstate 295 (Delaware–Pennsylvania), a bypass of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*Interstate 295 (Florida), a beltway around central Jacksonville
*Interstate 29 ...
west of the
Delaware Memorial Bridge
The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a dual-span suspension bridge crossing the Delaware River. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40 and is also the link between Delaware and New Jersey. The bridge was designed by the firm kno ...
in
Farnhurst. There was, for a time, a split routing, known as US 301N and US 301S, which diverged in Middletown and rejoined at US 13 in
Tybouts Corner. From there, US 301 followed US 13 and US 13/US 40 to Farnhurst. In 1971, US 301 was rerouted to head north from Middletown to the community of
Summit Bridge, where US 301N was then routed over the
Summit Bridge and along the north side of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal while US 301S stayed south of the canal before rejoining US 301N near the Farnhurst terminus. US 301 was rerouted again in 1985 at
Mount Pleasant to follow
DE 896 east to
Boyds Corner and US 13 north to Farnhurst, eliminating the split routing. US 301 was rerouted again in 1992 and terminated at US 40 in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. Plans have existed since the 1950s to build a freeway along the US 301 corridor in Delaware, with formal plans for a modern toll road beginning in 2005, running from the Maryland state line northeast to DE 1 in Biddles Corner. Construction on the US 301 freeway began in 2016 with the road opening in 2019, eliminating the alignment that from 1992 to 2019 ended in Glasgow, and returning the road to a similar alignment it followed from 1959 to 1971.
Route description
![US 301 NB past DE 299](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/US_301_NB_past_DE_299.jpeg)
US 301 enters Delaware from
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
to the east of the community of
Warwick, Maryland, where it heads north-northeast as a four-lane
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
that is
tolled and named the First Responders Memorial Highway. The road passes through a mix of farms and woods, coming to a northbound
weigh station
A weigh station is a checkpoint along a highway to inspect vehicular weights and safety compliance criteria. Usually, trucks and commercial vehicles are subject to the inspection.
Weigh stations are equipped with truck scales, some of which are ...
. The route runs through rural areas with some nearby development and
DE 299 becomes parallel to the west. US 301 reaches a mainline toll gantry before it enters the town of
Middletown and comes to a
diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
with DE 299. This interchange has toll gantries on the southbound exit and northbound entrance. Past DE 299, the road continues through the western portion of Middletown as it heads between
Appoquinimink High School
Appoquinimink High School (AHS) is a public high school in Middletown, Delaware. It is a part of the Appoquinimink School District.
Construction of the two-story building began in 2006 See clippingfrom Newspapers.com and ninth grade students we ...
to the west and a residential neighborhood to the east before passing under
DE 15 without an interchange. The route leaves Middletown and continues northeast through a mix of farmland and woodland with some development. The road comes to a
dogbone interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
with Connector Road, which leads east to
DE 71 north of Middletown and west to a
park and ride
A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuting, commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail t ...
lot; the interchange features toll gantries on the southbound exit and northbound entrance. From here, US 301 has bridges over DE 71 and the
Delmarva Central Railroad
The Delmarva Central Railroad is an American short-line railroad owned by Carload Express that operates of track on the Delmarva Peninsula in the states of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The railroad operates lines from Porter, Delaware to Ha ...
's Delmarva Subdivision line as it runs through agricultural areas with some woods. The freeway turns north and passes over
DE 896 without an interchange. The road runs through more rural areas and makes a turn to the east to come to a
dumbbell interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.
Design
The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the i ...
with Jamison Corner Road; toll gantries are located on the southbound exit and northbound entrance. The route runs east through fields and woods with nearby residential development. US 301 curves northeast and comes to its northern terminus at a partial interchange with the
DE 1 freeway in
Biddles Corner, south of the
Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge
The Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge (originally the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge and also referred to as the Roth Bridge) is a concrete and steel cable-stayed bridge that spans the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal near St. Georges, Delaware. ...
that carries DE 1 over the
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal (C&D Canal) is a -long, -wide and -deep ship canal that connects the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay in the states of Delaware and Maryland in the United States.
In the mid‑17th century, mapmaker Augus ...
in
St. Georges, where the route merges into northbound DE 1. At this interchange, a ramp from
US 13 from its intersection with Port Penn Road merges into the northbound US 301 ramp to northbound DE 1.
Tolls
The US 301 toll road uses
all-electronic tolling
Open road tolling (ORT), also called all-electronic tolling, cashless tolling, or free-flow tolling, is the collection of tolls on toll roads without the use of toll booths. An electronic toll collection system is usually used instead. The ma ...
, where tolls are paid with
E-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll collection system used on toll roads, toll bridges, and toll tunnels in the Eastern United States, Midwestern United States, and Southern United States. The E-ZPass Interagency Group (IAG) consists of member agencie ...
or
toll-by-plate
Video tolling (sometimes referred to as video billing, toll by plate, pay by mail, or pay by plate) is a form of electronic toll collection, which uses video or still images of a vehicle's license plate to identify a vehicle liable to pay a road ...
, which uses
automatic license plate recognition
Automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR; see also #Other names, other names below) is a technology that uses optical character recognition on images to read vehicle registration plates to create vehicle location data. It can use existing close ...
to take a photo of the vehicle's license plate and mail a bill to the vehicle owner. The road has a mainline toll gantry north of the Maryland state line and ramp toll gantries on the southbound exits and northbound entrances at the DE 299, DE 71, and Jamison Corner Road interchanges. The mainline toll gantry costs $4.00 using E-ZPass and $5.60 using toll-by-plate for passenger vehicles. The ramp toll gantries cost $1.00 using E-ZPass and $1.40 using toll-by-plate for passenger vehicles at the DE 299 interchange, $0.75 using E-ZPass and $1.05 using toll-by-plate for passenger vehicles at the DE 71 interchange, and $0.50 using E-ZPass and $0.70 using toll-by-plate for passenger vehicles at the Jamison Corner Road interchange.
History
Surface alignment
What became US 301 in Delaware was originally an unnumbered county road by 1920.
The roadway was paved by 1924.
It was upgraded to a state highway between
Mount Pleasant and
Summit Bridge a year later.
The roadway between Middletown and Mount Pleasant became a state highway in 1930. As part of this improvement, a connecting road was built between the Middletown-Mount Pleasant road and the road leading towards Warwick that passed to the west of Middletown to avoid a pair of railroad crossings.
On July 1, 1935, the portion of road between Summit Bridge and
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
was taken over by the state.
The roadway was designated as
DE 4 between the Maryland state line and Middletown, DE 71 between Middletown and Summit Bridge, and DE 896 between Summit Bridge and Glasgow by 1938.
By 1957, DE 4 was renumbered to DE 299 and DE 71 was realigned to follow DE 299 west of Middletown before splitting onto a new alignment to the Maryland border that connected to
Maryland Route 71 (MD 71). In addition, DE 896 was designated
concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with DE 71 between north of Middletown and Summit Bridge.
The US 301 designation was extended north into Delaware from Maryland by 1959. When first designated, the route entered Maryland from MD 71 and followed DE 71 and DE 299 to Middletown. Here, the route split into US 301N and US 301S. US 301N followed DE 299 east to
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
, where it turned north onto US 13 and followed that route across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal on the
St. Georges Bridge. US 301S headed north along DE 71/DE 896 to the
Summit Bridge over the canal. Past the canal, US 301S headed northeast along DE 71 to
Tybouts Corner, where it intersected US 13 and rejoined US 301N. From Tybouts Corner, US 301 continued north concurrent with US 13 to
State Road
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
, where it ended at an intersection with US 13,
US 40, and the southern terminus of
US 202. From this intersection, US 13/US 40/US 202 continued northeast to
Wilmington.
US 301S was realigned to a new Summit Bridge a short distance to the west in 1960, following new roads that led to the bridge. As a result of this, US 301S/DE 71 was designated onto a former piece of DE 896 between the new alignment and Red Lion Road to the east, with the rest of the former alignment becoming a dead end road south to the canal and the former alignment south of the canal becoming a local road serving the community of Summit Bridge.
In 1964, US 301 was extended northeast along US 13/US 40 to an interchange with
I-295 Interstate 295 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States:
*Interstate 295 (Delaware–Pennsylvania), a bypass of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*Interstate 295 (Florida), a beltway around central Jacksonville
*Interstate 29 ...
in
Farnhurst, where US 13/US 202 continued north to Wilmington and US 40 headed east along I-295 towards the
Delaware Memorial Bridge
The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a dual-span suspension bridge crossing the Delaware River. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40 and is also the link between Delaware and New Jersey. The bridge was designed by the firm kno ...
. At the same time, US 202 was removed from the section of road between State Road and Farnhurst.
In 1971, the
American Association of State Highway Officials
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction throughout the United St ...
(AASHO, now the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials or AASHTO) approved realigning US 301 to head north from Middletown to Summit Bridge along DE 71/DE 896, where it would split. US 301N was realigned to follow DE 896 north to Glasgow and US 40 east from Glasgow to US 13 at State Road while US 301S continued to follow DE 71 from Summit Bridge to Tybouts Corner and US 13 from Tybouts Corner to State Road.
In 1983, AASHTO approved for the realignment of US 301 to follow a newly-aligned DE 896 east from Mount Pleasant to
Boyds Corner, where it would continue north along US 13 to the I-295/US 40 interchange in Farnhurst; this change was implemented in 1985.
The concurrency with DE 71 between the Maryland border and Summit Bridge was removed by 1987.
By 1990, US 301 became concurrent with DE 71 again between Middletown and Mount Pleasant.
AASHTO approved for US 301 to be realigned to follow DE 896 between Mount Pleasant and US 40 in Glasgow, US 40 between Glasgow and State Road, and US 13/US 40 between State Road and I-295 in Farnhurst in 1992. However, US 301 was only signed up DE 896 to US 40 in Glasgow.
By 1996, US 301 was realigned to bypass Middletown further to the west along a newly-built extension of Middletown Warwick Road, having previously followed DE 299 and Peterson Road to bypass Middletown to the west. Also by 1996, US 301 and DE 896 were rerouted to bypass Glasgow to the east, with the former alignment becoming
DE 896 Bus. In July 2008, a widening project began on US 301/DE 299 between United Drive and the east end of the concurrency.
This widening to four lanes was completed in November 2010.
Freeway alignment
Plans for a four-lane superhighway connecting the
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...
(via the Delaware Memorial Bridge) with the
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
metro area date back to the opening of the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (also known locally as the Bay Bridge) is a major twin bridges, dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore of Maryland, Eastern Shore regio ...
in the 1950s.
In December 1950, a report was prepared for the Delaware State Highway Department that recommended a route running between the Maryland state line near Warwick, where it was to connect to a proposed expressway on the other side of the state line, and the Delaware Memorial Bridge approach in Farnhurst. The route was to follow DE 4 (now DE 299) to Middletown, where it would head north and parallel DE 71 to the Summit Bridge before continuing northeast to US 40 between Glasgow and
Bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
. From here, the highway was to follow US 40 northeast to State Road and then run to the east of US 13 in the
New Castle area before reaching the bridge approach. Interchanges were to be located at DE 4 southwest of Middletown, DE 71 in Summit Bridge, DE 71/DE 896 north of Summit Bridge, US 40 and US 13 in State Road, and
DE 41 (now
DE 141) near New Castle. Legislation to build this freeway was requested to the
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisla ...
in 1951; it was not approved.
From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the
Delaware Department of Transportation
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is an agency of the U.S. state of Delaware. The Secretary of Transportation is Nicole Majeski. The agency was established in 1917 and has its headquarters in Dover.
The department's responsibil ...
(DelDOT) planned for a freeway along the US 301 corridor. The freeway would bypass Middletown to the west and continue north to Glasgow, where it would head northeast to an interchange with
I-95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...
(Delaware Turnpike).
[ The northern terminus of US 301 would have been at exit 2 of I-95. DelDOT had purchased land at US 40 east of Glasgow for an interchange along this freeway.][ Over the years, plans for the freeway progressed slowly, with priority given to other road projects in the state. As a result, through traffic traveling from I-95 to US 301 in Maryland was forced to use two-lane roads such as DE 896.] By 1992, six corridors were proposed for this freeway. One followed DE 896, one ran from Middletown to DE 1, another ran north to the Summit Bridge and followed two corridors between Glasgow and I-95, another ran near the Delaware-Maryland state line and crossed the existing Summit Bridge, and the other ran to the east of Middletown. The proposal near the state line was dropped because of impact on wetlands and stream crossings while the proposal to the east of Middletown was eliminated because it would impact too many agricultural areas. In 1994, plans resurfaced for capacity improvements to the US 301 corridor, with options for a new freeway, widening the current route, or adding interchanges along DE 896. Three alignments were proposed for the freeway: one running northeast from US 40 at Glasgow to I-95, one bypassing Summit Airport to the west, and another running to the west of Middletown and the Summit Bridge. Nothing came from these plans as state officials could not come to an agreement. In 1998, plans were made again to expand capacity along US 301, with five options. The options included a US 301 freeway between the Maryland state line and I-95; commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
linking Middletown to Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
and Wilmington; high-occupancy vehicle lane
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...
s on I-95, DE 1, and DE 896; widening US 301 and DE 1; and an express road between US 301 in Middletown and DE 1. At the time, the option for a US 301 freeway cost $205 million. Of all the ideas suggested, the freeway proposal received the most support.
In 2005, plans for a freeway along the US 301 corridor surfaced once again. DelDOT proposed several options for this freeway: "yellow route", "brown route", "green route + spur", "purple route + spur", and "no build". On November 13, 2006, DelDOT announced that it had chosen the "green route + spur" option to build the new US 301. This option was the lowest cost, and had minimum impact on property acquisition (35 residential and business properties total, mostly farmland) and did not allow for the demolishing of two local churches.
In 2008, the Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
(FHWA) approved the selected alternative and allowed for right-of-way acquisition to begin.[ On May 2, 2011, AASHTO approved the realignment of US 301 onto the new toll road once it was completed. Right-of-way acquisition, completing the final design of the freeway, construction contracts, and utility relocations for the project occurred.] Bids for construction of the US 301 toll road were issued in 2015.[
]
In 2016, construction began on the US 301 toll road. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 5, 2016, near the Maryland state line, with Governor Jack Markell
Jack Alan Markell (born November 26, 1960) is an American politician who currently serves as the United States ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. He previously served as the 73rd governor of Delaware from 2 ...
, FHWA administrator Gregory G. Nadeau, and DelDOT secretary Jennifer Cohan in attendance. The expected cost of the project was $600 million, and DelDOT sought a federal loan to pay for a third of the costs, which was approved in August 2015.[ The toll road, which cost $636 million to build, was originally planned to open to traffic on January 1, 2019, but inclement weather delayed the opening date. The US 301 toll road opened to traffic on January 10, 2019. With the opening of the US 301 toll road, restrictions on non-local truck traffic were put into place on the former alignment of US 301. On March 1, 2019, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of the project was held, with Governor John Carney, Lieutenant Governor ]Bethany Hall-Long
Bethany A. Hall-Long (born November 12, 1963) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. She has served as the 26th lieutenant governor of Delaware since 2017. Hall-Long previously served in the Delaware Senate from 2008 to 2 ...
, DelDOT secretary Cohan, U.S. Senators Tom Carper
Thomas Richard Carper (born January 23, 1947) is an American politician and former military officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Delaware, having held the seat si ...
and Chris Coons
Christopher Andrew Coons (born September 9, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Delaware since 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Coons served as the county executive of New Castle Cou ...
, and Middletown Mayor Ken Branner in attendance.
The project replaced the surface alignment of US 301 in Delaware with a four-lane controlled-access toll road connecting US 301 at the Maryland state line near Warwick, Maryland to the DE 1 toll road in Biddles Corner. The road serves as a high-speed bypass around the cities of Middletown and Newark. The main highway has interchanges with DE 299 west of Middletown, a proposed northbound exit and southbound entrance for a future spur to the Summit Bridge, DE 71 north of Middletown, and Jamison Corner Road before merging into northbound DE 1 between the Biddles Corner toll plaza and the Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge. A mainline toll gantry was located near the state line along with ramp tolls on the southbound exits and northbound entrances at DE 299, DE 71, and Jamison Corner Road. Upon opening, tolls were planned to be $4 for cars and $11 for trucks, with toll rates to rise about 3.5 percent annually. The US 301 toll road was built with all-electronic tolling, using E-ZPass or toll-by-plate. Motorists without E-ZPass would be billed at a higher rate. US 301 is the first toll road in Delaware to use all-electronic tolling and serves as a pilot project for the concept; if successful, all-electronic tolling will be expanded to other toll roads in Delaware. On September 13, 2019, Governor Carney signed a bill passed by the Delaware General Assembly that designated the section of US 301 in Delaware as the First Responders Memorial Highway.
A two-lane freeway
A two-lane expressway or two-lane freeway is an expressway or freeway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes ris ...
spur will branch from the main highway northwest of Middletown at a northbound exit and southbound entrance and head north to an interchange with DE 71/DE 896 and the northern terminus of DE 15 near Summit Bridge. At the northern terminus of the spur, the spur will merge into northbound DE 71/DE 896 onto the Summit Bridge while a southbound exit and northbound entrance just south of the terminus will serve the northern terminus of DE 15. The spur road connecting the US 301 toll road to DE 71/DE 896 in Summit Bridge is planned to be constructed when traffic conditions warrant the need for the road. DelDOT has been monitoring traffic levels on the former surface alignment of US 301 and DE 896 annually to determine when the spur road will be needed.
Exit list
See also
*
References
External links
US 301 at AARoads.com
Delaware Roads - US 301
DelDOT's US 301 Project page
The Roads of Metro Philadelphia: US 301 Freeway-Delaware (unbuilt)
{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=301, state=Delaware, statebefore=Maryland
01-3
Delaware
Toll roads in Delaware
Transportation in New Castle County, Delaware