A new plan to address traffic congestion around Millsboro on U.S. Route 113 will become public for the first time tomorrow [Wed].
After residents resoundingly rejected an $800 million, limited access eastern bypass of Millsboro, Dagsboro and Frankford called the “Blue Alternative,” DelDOT’s new plan focuses on building out much of the state’s current property.
“In providing a third lane in Millsboro we address capacity issues for [U.S. Route] 113, solving a north-south capacity [problem] and then on SR 24, by providing a bypass of downtown Millsboro we can alleviate congestion at one of the worse bottlenecks in Sussex County,” said project manager Bryan Berhens.
Berhens notes says the new proposal should cost about $100 million – significantly cheaper than the “Blue Alternative’s” price tag at $800 million.
The extra third lane on each side would run from about Hardscrabble Road just north of Millsboro to the Delaware-Maryland state line under the current plan.
“We’ve shifted the alignment back to existing U.S. 113 where it is today. We believe we can do most of the widening for a third lane toward the median while also providing a connector road from 113 to [State Route] 24,” Behrens said.
It’s one piece of a long-term project to add new lanes for the entire highway and combat heavy traffic that can pile up – especially during the summer.
Early engineering work is underway for two other widening sections of the plan around Georgetown and Ellendale. Efforts to improve Route 113 around Milford have been at a standstill since 2007 due to a lack of compromise between the state and area residents.
The public workshop on the southernmost portion runs from 4-7 p.m. at Millsboro Town Center on Wednesday.