The federal government is helping Delaware get some of its road construction done sooner.
Delaware’s Congressional delegation announced Wednesday a $57 million federal transportation grant meant to support an upcoming project redesigning the 1-95 interchange at Route 896 in Newark.
Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) spokesman C.R. McLeod says the $143 million plan is meant to improve safety and reduce congestion at the site where 60% of southbound I-95 traffic exits, according to DelDOT traffic data.
“It’s one that we’ve been monitoring, and we’ve seen a growing number of crash incidents that have been happening over the past decade, and it’s one that we’ve identified that needs to be improved,” said McLeod.
The project will add two flyovers, realign northbound and southbound I-95 ramps and adjust other roadway geometry.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) is ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
“These safety improvements will spur economic growth and less congestion will enable greater access to the City of Newark, the University of Delaware and its blossoming STAR Campus,” said Carper in a statement.
The federal grant comes from the U.S. DOT’s Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects Program, or INFRA Grants program. It moves the construction start date up two years to 2022.
