A federal grant will be used to combat effects of climate change in Townsend.
The U.S. Department of Transportation awards DelDOT a $15 million Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) grant.
The funding will be used to address flooding on Route 9 in Townsend, including raising the road at Taylors Bridge.
C.R. McLeod is DelDOT’s director of community relations.
"Partly one, due to age as well, and also the fact that we've already started to see the approach roads there being impacted by flooding more frequently,” said McLeod. “So the department identified this bridge as one that ultimately will need to be replaced to ensure that it's able to continue to be above the water line so to speak."
This project will make additional bridge improvements including widening sidewalks, expanding road shoulders and reducing the number of piers from nine to three to improve water flow.
Retaining walls will also be installed to reduce wetlands impacts.
Hundreds of residents live in that area, and McLeod says it’s vital to keep that route viable.
"Route 9 is one of the primary access routes to getting to Route 13, Route 1 and those areas. So that's one of our critical concerns. It's also part of the Delaware Bayshore Byway," said McLeod.
McLeod notes DelDOT is contributing $8 million to the project that will probably get underway in early 2026.
