U.S. Route 301 in Delaware

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This article is about the section of U.S. Route 301 in Delaware. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 301.

Toll plate yellow.svg

U.S. Route 301 Toll marker

U.S. Route 301 Toll

First Responders Memorial Highway
Map
US 301 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by DelDOT
Length11.9 mi[1] (19.2 km)
Existed1959[2][3]–present
Major junctions
South end US 301 at Maryland border near Warwick, MD
Major intersections
North end DE 1 in Biddles Corner
Location
CountryUnited States
StateDelaware
CountiesNew Castle
Highway system
← DE 300→ DE 404

U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a

toll-by-plate
. 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

I-295 west of the Delaware Memorial Bridge 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
. 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 northbound past the DE 299 interchange in Middletown

US 301 enters Delaware from

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.[1][4]

Tolls

The US 301 toll road uses

automatic license plate recognition 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.[5]

History

Surface alignment

US 301 northbound at northern terminus of concurrency with DE 15 and DE 299 in Middletown in 2008

What became US 301 in Delaware was originally an unnumbered county road by 1920.

Maryland Route 71 (MD 71). In addition, DE 896 was designated concurrent with DE 71 between north of Middletown and Summit Bridge.[2]

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

American Association of State Highway Officials (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.[16][17]

In 1983, AASHTO approved for the realignment of US 301 to follow a newly-aligned DE 896 east from Mount Pleasant to

DE 896 Bus.[24] In July 2008, a widening project began on US 301/DE 299 between United Drive and the east end of the concurrency.[25] This widening to four lanes was completed in November 2010.[26]

Freeway alignment

Plans for a four-lane superhighway connecting the New Jersey Turnpike (via the Delaware Memorial Bridge) with the Washington, D.C. metro area date back to the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the 1950s.[27] 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. 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 in 1951; it was not approved.[28]

US 301 southbound past northern terminus at DE 1 in Biddles Corner

From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the Delaware Department of Transportation (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 (Delaware Turnpike).[29] 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.[29] 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.[30] 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.[29] 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.[31] 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 linking Middletown to Newark and Wilmington; high-occupancy vehicle lanes 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.[32] Of all the ideas suggested, the freeway proposal received the most support.[33]

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".[34] 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.[35]

In 2008, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the selected alternative and allowed for right-of-way acquisition to begin.[34] On May 2, 2011, AASHTO approved the realignment of US 301 onto the new toll road once it was completed.[36] Right-of-way acquisition, completing the final design of the freeway, construction contracts, and utility relocations for the project occurred.[37] Bids for construction of the US 301 toll road were issued in 2015.[37]

US 301 northbound at the DE 299 interchange in Middletown

In 2016, construction began on the US 301 toll road.[38] A groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 5, 2016, near the Maryland state line, with Governor Jack Markell, FHWA administrator Gregory G. Nadeau, and DelDOT secretary Jennifer Cohan in attendance.[39] 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.[40][37] 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.[41] The US 301 toll road opened to traffic on January 10, 2019.[42] 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.[43] 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, DelDOT secretary Cohan, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Middletown Mayor Ken Branner in attendance.[44]

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.[27] 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.[45] Upon opening, tolls were planned to be $4 for cars and $11 for trucks, with toll rates to rise about 3.5 percent annually.[40] 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.[39][46] 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.[46] 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.[47]

A

two-lane freeway 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.[45] 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.[48]

Exit list

The entire route is in New Castle County.

Locationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
​0.00.0
 US 301 south (Blue Star Memorial Highway) – Annapolis		Maryland state line
​1.52.4Mainline electronic toll gantry
South Middletown, Townsend
Electronic toll collection on southbound exit and northbound entrance
5.79.25
North Middletown
Electronic toll collection on southbound exit and northbound entrance; access via Connector Road
​9.615.49Jamison Corner RoadElectronic toll collection on southbound exit and northbound entrance
Biddles Corner11.919.2
 DE 1 north – Wilmington		Northern terminus of US 301; access only to northbound DE 1 and from southbound DE 1; DE 1 exit 147
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

  1. ^ a b c Google (December 28, 2018). "overview of U.S. Route 301 in Delaware" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Delaware State Highway Department (1957). Official Highway Map of Delaware (PDF) (Map) (1957–1958 ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Delaware State Highway Department (1959). Official Highway Map of Delaware (PDF) (Map) (1959–1960 ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  4. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (2017). Official Travel & Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  5. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Delaware E-ZPass. Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  6. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1920). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  7. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1924). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  8. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1925). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1930 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. December 31, 1930: 14, 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ "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. Retrieved November 19, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ "Annual Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1936 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. January 20, 1937: 20. Retrieved November 19, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ Delaware State Highway Department; The National Survey Co. (1938). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  13. ^ U.S. Route Numbering Committee (June 11, 1959). "U.S. Route Numbering Committee Agenda" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. p. 181. Retrieved October 27, 2020 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  14. ^ "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to intermittently close the Chesapeake City Bridge during testing" (PDF). United States Army Corps of Engineers. September 22, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  15. ^ U.S. Route Numbering Committee (June 3, 1964). "U.S. Route Numbering Committee Agenda Showing Action Taken by the AASHO Executive Committee at Their Meeting" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. p. 281. Retrieved October 27, 2020 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  16. ^ Delaware Department of Highways and Transportation (1971). Delaware Highways Official Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Highways and Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  17. ^ U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee (December 3, 1971). "U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee Agenda" (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. p. 415. Retrieved October 11, 2014 – via Wikisource.
  18. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (1985). Official State Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  19. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (June 20, 1983). "Route Numbering Committee Agenda" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 535. Retrieved October 11, 2014 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  20. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (1987). Official State Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  21. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (1990). Official State Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  22. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (October 3, 1992). "Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Executive Committee" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  23. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation Division of Planning Cartographic Information Section (1994). Delaware Official State Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  24. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation Division of Planning Cartographic Information Section (1996). Delaware Official State Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  25. ^ "Existing Route 301 Widening to Begin". Delaware Department of Transportation. July 20, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  26. ^ "Traffic Alert – Sections of Route 301 Closed for Construction". Delaware Department of Transportation. September 30, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  27. ^
    OCLC 38962480
    .
  28. ^ "Report of the State Highway Department" (PDF) (1951 ed.). Dover, Delaware: Delaware State Highway Department. July 1, 1951: 41–42. Retrieved January 9, 2015. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  29. ^ a b c "U.S. 301 planners cull options". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. December 3, 1992.
  30. ^ Kesler, Nancy (September 20, 1987). "Long-awaited highway is in sight". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett.
  31. ^ "Deadline nears for U.S. 301 plan". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. October 16, 1994.
  32. ^ "Big plans in store for U.S. 301". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. April 29, 1998.
  33. ^ "Road options are all over the map". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. August 30, 1998.
  34. ^ a b "U.S. Route 301 Project Development Overview". Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  35. ^ "DelDOT Picks U.S. 301 Bypass Route". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. November 14, 2006.
  36. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 2, 2011). "Report to the Standing Committee on Highways" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  37. ^ a b c "U.S. Route 301 Project Development". Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  38. ^ "U.S. Route 301 Construction to Begin in January" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  39. ^ a b "Start of Construction for U.S. Route 301 Mainline Celebrated by Federal, State and Local Officials" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  40. ^ a b Montgomery, Jeff (December 29, 2014). "DelDOT hoping for U.S. 301 green light in 2015". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  41. ^ Smith, Jerry (January 9, 2019). "Start your engines: U.S. 301 toll road to open Thursday after morning rush hour". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  42. ^ Smith, Jerry (January 10, 2019). "U.S. 301 Mainline toll road opens Thursday to cheers and jeers". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  43. ^ "New US 301 Mainline Opens to Traffic" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  44. ^ "U.S. Route 301 Mainline Ribbon Cutting Celebrated by Federal, State and Local Officials" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  45. ^ a b US 301 Project Mainline Construction Contracts (PDF) (Map). Delaware Department of Transportation. December 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  46. ^ a b Petree, Rob (February 20, 2018). "DelDOT launching EZ Pass only tolling on Route 301 to test the waters". WXDE. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  47. ^ "House Bill 56". Delaware General Assembly. 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  48. ^ Montgomery, Jeff (May 17, 2014). "Little pressure for U.S. 301 toll road spur". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE: Gannett. Retrieved January 10, 2019.

External links

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U.S. Route 301
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