DelDOT, Carper Mark Start of Park Avenue Project

GEORGETOWN, Del.  – U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) and officials from Sussex County and Georgetown joined Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski today for a groundbreaking event to mark the start of the Park Avenue Phase 1 project.

The project, which will be built in two phases, will provide a continuous US Route 9 Truck Bypass from US Route 113 to US 9 East of Georgetown and improves the traffic operations over the existing conditions and removes the US Route 9 Truck Bypass route from existing residential areas of Park Avenue and South Bedford Street. A roundabout will also be installed at the intersection of South Bedford Street/Arrow Safety Road/Park Avenue.

The realignment of Park Avenue will not only address existing safety and traffic issues but allow for the additional 500-foot expansion of the Delaware Coastal Airport main runway, provide access to the Sussex County Industrial Park, and serve as a Georgetown bypass for trucks and traffic moving through the central part of the county. 

“This is a day over 20 years in the making,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “The investments, most of which are from federal funding, to realign Truck Route 9 and Park Avenue will not only enhance safety for cars and trucks but will also facilitate economic development projects like extending the runway at Delaware Coastal Airport.”

“We are making needed infrastructure investments in Sussex County, and projects such as this, the nearly completed Georgetown East Gateway project and Route 24 improvements are all intended to improve safety as Sussex County continues to grow,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski.

State Rep. Ruth Briggs King (R-Georgetown/Long Neck) stated, “This project is one that will serve our community very well. In addition to the safety improvements that will be made to the intersection of Route 113 and Arrow Safety Road, the Truck Route 9 bypass relocation will also be a welcome change for commuters and for those nearby residential communities that had been previously impacted by truck traffic traveling through their neighborhoods. Thank you to DelDOT for continuing to make this project a top priority for improving vehicle safety throughout the area.”

The $25.5 million phase 1 project is expected to be completed in early 2024 with phase construction beginning later that year.

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