Delaware Route 273

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Delaware Route 273 marker

Delaware Route 273

Map
Route information
Maintained by DelDOT
Length12.66 mi[1] (20.37 km)
Existed1936[2]–present
Tourist
routes		Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
Major junctions
West end MD 273 near Newark
Major intersections
East end DE 9 / DE 141 in New Castle
Location
CountryUnited States
StateDelaware
CountiesNew Castle
Highway system
←
DE 261
→ DE 279

Delaware Route 273 (DE 273) is a state highway in New Castle County, Delaware. The route runs from Maryland Route 273 (MD 273) at the Maryland border near Newark east to DE 9 and DE 141 in New Castle. The route heads through suburban areas between Newark and New Castle as a multilane road, passing through Ogletown and Christiana. DE 273 intersects DE 896 in downtown Newark; DE 2/DE 72 on the eastern edge of Newark; DE 4 in Ogletown; Interstate 95 (I-95), DE 7, and DE 1 in Christiana; DE 37 in Pleasantville; and DE 58 and U.S. Route 13 (US 13)/US 40 in Hares Corner.

What is now DE 273 was originally built as a state highway in the 1920s and 1930s, with the portion east of Hares Corner becoming a part of US 40, which had crossed the Delaware River on a ferry between New Castle and

Pennsville, New Jersey. DE 273 was designated by 1936 to run from the Maryland border near Newark east to Hares Corner. In the 1950s, the route was extended east to New Castle when US 40 was realigned to the Delaware Memorial Bridge
. DE 273 was moved onto new alignments around Christiana in the 1980s and through Ogletown in the 1990s.

Route description

DE 273 westbound and DE 896 northbound along West Main Street in Newark approaching South Main Street

DE 273 begins at the

CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision railroad line at-grade and comes to an intersection with New London Road, which runs northwest as northbound DE 896, and South Main Street, which heads southwest as DE 896.[3][4]

At this point, DE 273 splits into the

divided Library Avenue to rejoin westbound DE 273.[3][4]

DE 273 eastbound past DE 2/DE 72 in Newark

Past DE 2/DE 72, DE 273 leaves Newark and heads east on Ogletown Road, a five-lane road with a

center left-turn lane that passes through commercial areas, soon becoming a four-lane divided highway. The route continues east and has an intersection with Ruthar Drive, with an eastbound jughandle for U-turns at the intersection. Past here, the road comes to a bridge over Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad line. The route turns southeast and reaches an interchange with DE 4 and Salem Church Road in the community of Ogletown. Past this interchange, DE 273 becomes Christiana Road and heads east through suburban residential neighborhoods with some businesses. The road bends southeast again as it comes to a modified cloverleaf interchange with I-95 (Delaware Turnpike). Following this, the route heads into commercial areas, bypassing the community of Christiana to the southwest. DE 273 runs south through wooded areas and intersects Old Baltimore Pike before crossing the Christina River and curving east, coming to a junction with DE 7. A park and ride lot is located at the northeast corner of this intersection. A short distance later, the road reaches a diamond interchange with the DE 1 freeway.[3][4]

Following this interchange, DE 273 heads through woods before entering areas of suburban homes and businesses, coming to a junction with the southern terminus of DE 37 in Pleasantville. The route continues east and intersects the eastern terminus of DE 58 near the Wilmington Airport. A short distance later, the road comes to a junction with US 13/US 40 in Hares Corner.[3][4]

Past this intersection, DE 273 becomes concurrent with

DE 9 Truck and turns into two-lane undivided Frenchtown Road, with a multi-use trail parallel to the north. The road enters the city of New Castle and heads east between business parks and warehouses to the south and farm fields to the north. DE 273 comes to an intersection with DE 9 and the southern terminus of DE 141 to the west of the center of New Castle, where the route, along with DE 9 Truck, ends.[4] Past the eastern terminus, the road continues east as part of DE 9.[3] Some signage for DE 273, including an end sign at East 6th Street, does still exist east of its formal terminus.[4]

The section of DE 273 between Chapman Road and Browns Lane in Christiana is part of the

National Historic Trail.[5] DE 273 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 49,421 vehicles at the I-95 interchange to a low of 6,924 vehicles at the Hillside Road intersection in Newark.[1] The portion of DE 273 east of DE 896 is part of the National Highway System.[6]

History

DE 273 eastbound past DE 37 in Pleasantville

What is now DE 273 originally existed as a county road by 1920.

Pennsville, New Jersey. Also by this time, all of present-day DE 273 was upgraded to a state highway except the portion of US 40 between Hares Corner and the Basin Road intersection in New Castle.[11] In 1934, recommendations were made to upgrade US 40 to a state highway between Hares Corner and New Castle.[12] The portion of US 40 between Hares Corner and New Castle was taken over by the state on July 1, 1935.[2][13] Construction on upgrading this section began in 1936, with the project completed later that year.[14][2] The same year, a bridge was constructed over a Pennsylvania Railroad line (now the Jack A. Markell Trail) in New Castle.[14]

DE 273 eastbound at DE 1 near Christiana

DE 273 was designated to run from the Maryland border west of Newark east to US 13 and US 40 in Hares Corner by 1936, roughly following its current alignment. In Newark, the route ran concurrent with DE 2.[2] By 1952, US 40 was realigned to use the Delaware Memorial Bridge to cross the Delaware River, and DE 273 was extended east along the former alignment of US 40 on Frenchtown Road, Delaware Street, and Ferry Cut Off Street to end at present-day DE 9 at 6th Street in New Castle.[15] In 1956, DE 2 and DE 273 were routed onto the one-way pair of Delaware Avenue eastbound and Main Street westbound in downtown Newark following an eastward extension of Delaware Avenue to the intersection between DE 2 and DE 273 east of the city.[16]

By 1984, DE 9 was realigned to follow DE 273 east of the DE 141 intersection.

DE 2 Bus. became concurrent with DE 273 through Newark by 1990.[19] In 1997, DE 273 was moved to its current alignment in the Ogletown area, eliminating a short concurrency with DE 4 and involving the construction of an interchange with that route. The former alignment of DE 273 through Ogletown is known as Ogletown Road.[20][21] The concurrent DE 2 Bus. designation was eliminated in 2013 as part of simplifying the route numbers in Newark.[22] By 2015, DE 273 signage was cut back to its current eastern terminus, removing the concurrency with DE 9.[4]

On March 15, 2021, a construction project began that will improve the interchange between DE 273 and I-95 by realigning ramps and widening DE 273 through the interchange.[23] Construction on this interchange improvement is planned to be completed in 2023.[24]

Major intersections

The entire route is in New Castle County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Newark0.000.00
 MD 273 west (Telegraph Road)		Maryland state line; western terminus
1.742.80
 DE 896 south (North Hillside Road)		Southbound direction of DE 896; west end of DE 896 southbound overlap
1.852.98
I-95
East end of DE 896 southbound overlap; west end of DE 896 northbound overlap
2.043.28
 DE 896 north (South College Avenue)		Northbound direction of DE 896; east end of DE 896 northbound overlap
3.034.88
 DE 72 south (Library Avenue)		West end of eastbound overlap with DE 72
3.235.20

 DE 2 east / DE 72 north (Capitol Trail)		East end of eastbound overlap with DE 72; western terminus of DE 2
Churchmans Crossing
Interchange
Delaware Memorial Bridge, Wilmington, Newark, Baltimore
I-95 exit 3
8.5713.79 DE 7 (East Main Street/Bear Christiana Road) – Christiana
Churchmans Crossing, Stanton, Dover
DE 1 exit 162
Pleasantville9.4515.21
 DE 37 north (Airport Road)		Southern terminus of DE 37
Hares Corner10.9517.62
 DE 58 west (Churchmans Road)		Eastern terminus of DE 58
11.3118.20
DE 9 Truck
south (Dupont Highway)		West end of DE 9 Truck overlap
DE 9 Truck
ends		Eastern terminus; southern terminus of DE 141; northern terminus of DE 9 Truck
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

  1. ^ a b c Staff (2018). "Traffic Count and Mileage Report: Interstate, Delaware, and US Routes" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Delaware State Highway Department; The National Survey Co. (1936). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map) (1936–1937 ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e Delaware Department of Transportation (2017). Official Travel & Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Google (February 7, 2011). "overview of Delaware Route 273" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route". Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  6. ^ National Highway System: Delaware (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  7. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1920). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  8. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1924). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  9. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1925). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  10. ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1930 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. December 31, 1930: 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1931). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  12. ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1934 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. January 1, 1935: 37, 68. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department of the State of Delaware" (PDF) (1935 ed.). Dover, DE: Delaware State Highway Department. January 7, 1936: 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. ^ a b "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1936 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. January 20, 1937: 19–21. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1952). Official Highway Map of Delaware (PDF) (Map) (1952–1953 ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  16. ^ "Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1956 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. July 1, 1956: 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (1984). Official State Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  18. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (1985). Official State Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  19. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (1990). Official State Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  20. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (1997). Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  21. ^ Federal Highway Administration (2012). "NBI Structure Number: 1286W018". National Bridge Inventory. Federal Highway Administration.
  22. ^ Shannon, Josh (July 1, 2013). "A route to less clutter: DelDOT to consolidate Newark route numbers". Newark Post. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  23. ^ "Traffic Alert - Highway Safety Improvements Project, Route 273 and I-95 Interchange Improvements Project to Begin" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  24. ^ "Project: HSIP NCC, SR 273 and I-95 Interchange Improvement". Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 28, 2023.

External links

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