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Delaware State Route System
The Delaware State Route System consists of roads in the U.S. state of Delaware that are maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT). The system includes the portions of the Interstate Highway System and United States Numbered Highways system located in the state along with state routes and other roads maintained by DelDOT. All roads maintained by the state are assigned a maintenance road number (reference number) that is only marked on little white markers at intersections and on auxiliary plates below warning signs approaching intersections. These numbers are only unique in a specific county; some roads can be designated with multiple road numbers, and numbers do not necessarily correspond to the signed Interstate, U.S., or state route numbers. DelDOT maintains a total of 5,386.14 miles (8,668.15 km) of roads, comprising 89 percent of the roads within the state. Some large bridges in the state are maintained by other agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Delaware River and Bay Authority. Roads in the system include multilane freeways, multilane surface divided highways, and two-lane undivided roads serving urban, suburban, and rural areas. Some of the roads maintained by DelDOT are toll roads, in which motorists must pay to use.
The first roads in Delaware were Native American trails and unpaved roads laid out by colonial Swedish and English settlers. From this time, counties were responsible for roads. In the 19th century, private companies operated several turnpikes radiating from Wilmington. Thomas Coleman DuPont proposed a modern road in 1908 to run the north–south length of the state; this road evolved into the DuPont Highway, which was completed by the state in 1923. The Delaware State Highway Department was formed on April 2, 1917 to construct a state highway system in Delaware. Numbered routes came with the creation of the U.S. Highway System in 1926; state route numbers appeared 10 years later. In 1935, the state took over the remaining county roads. In the middle part of the 20th century, several major roads were widened into divided highways. The creation of the Interstate Highway System in 1956 led to the construction of 40 miles (64 km) of freeway in northern New Castle County, including the tolled Delaware Turnpike. The Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) limited-access toll road between Dover and Wilmington was fully completed in 2003, and was the largest public works project in state history.
The Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes in Delaware are numbered according to a national numbering pattern. Interstate Highways that run north–south have odd numbers, increasing from west to east, while those that run east–west have even numbers, increasing from south to north. Major north–south Interstates have numbers ending in 5 while major east–west Interstates have numbers ending in 0. Three-digit Interstates begin with odd numbers if they are a spur and an even number if they are a bypass or beltway and repeat numbers in different states. As such, the major north–south Interstate along the East Coast, Interstate 95 (I-95), passes through northern New Castle County. I-495 bypasses the section of I-95 that runs through the city of Wilmington.
U.S. Routes that run north–south have odd numbers, increasing from east to west, while those that run east–west have even numbers, increasing from north to south. Major north–south U.S. Routes have numbers ending in 1 while major east–west U.S. Routes have numbers ending in 0. Three-digit U.S. Routes serve as branches of their parent route. As such, U.S. Route 13 (US 13) runs north–south through the entire length of Delaware while US 40, a major U.S. Route running from Utah to New Jersey, passes east–west through northern New Castle County. US 113 serves as a branch of US 13 in the southern part of the state. US 9 is an exception to the numbering pattern as it runs east–west across Sussex County, though the route runs north–south in New Jersey and New York.
State routes in Delaware are signed with the MUTCD default circular route marker, which consists of black numbers in a white circle on a rectangular black background. These routes are largely assigned in a pattern similar to the Interstate and U.S. routes. Odd-numbered routes generally run north–south and even-numbered routes generally run east–west. A grid pattern exists for several low-numbered east–west state routes that increases from north to south, starting with DE 2 in northern Delaware and continuing south to DE 26 in the southern part of the state. There is also a pattern for some low-numbered north–south routes beginning with DE 1 in the east and continuing to DE 11 in the west. Several routes in Delaware are numbered as continuations of Maryland and Pennsylvania state routes, without regard to the even/odd pattern. Examples include DE 52, which is a southern continuation of PA 52, and DE 273, which is an eastern continuation of MD 273. DE 48 was once connected to Route 48 in New Jersey by a ferry across the Delaware River. Most of the 3-digit state routes are or were continuations of routes from Maryland and Pennsylvania, with the exception of DE 141 and DE 202. The lowest numbered state route is DE 1, while the highest numbered route is DE 896.
Unlike some other states, Delaware does not prohibit duplication between route numbers of different systems. There are two examples of duplication between U.S. and state routes within Delaware. US 9 exists in Sussex County while DE 9 is located in Kent and New Castle counties. US 202 passes through the Wilmington area in northern New Castle County, with DE 202 heading south from an interchange with I-95 and US 202 along Concord Avenue into the city of Wilmington. DE 202 is signed along a former alignment of US 202.
Every road that is maintained by DelDOT, including Interstate, U.S., and state routes, is assigned a maintenance road number (also known as a reference number). The maintenance road numbers are only unique in a specific county and some roads can be designated with multiple road numbers. For example, Bryants Corner Road in Kent County is designated as Road 205, Road 103, and Road 219. Suffixed maintenance road numbers exist near their parent roads, often for a short alignment. For example, Woodland Ferry Road in Sussex County is designated Road 78, while Old Sailor Road, a short road branching off from it near Laurel, is designated as Road 78A. The maintenance road numbers are signed with little white markers at intersections showing the two roads that intersect each other and on auxiliary plates below warning signs approaching intersections.
Interstate, U.S., and state routes have maintenance road numbers that often do not match their signed route numbers. For instance, DE 261 in New Castle County is designated as Road 203. In Sussex County, several state routes largely have matching maintenance road numbers; for example, the entire length of DE 24 is designated Road 24. Some routes in Sussex County have maintenance road numbers that reflect former route designations; an example is the section of US 9 between Laurel and Georgetown which is designated Road 28, reflecting the former DE 28 designation along this stretch of road.
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Delaware State Route System
The Delaware State Route System consists of roads in the U.S. state of Delaware that are maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT). The system includes the portions of the Interstate Highway System and United States Numbered Highways system located in the state along with state routes and other roads maintained by DelDOT. All roads maintained by the state are assigned a maintenance road number (reference number) that is only marked on little white markers at intersections and on auxiliary plates below warning signs approaching intersections. These numbers are only unique in a specific county; some roads can be designated with multiple road numbers, and numbers do not necessarily correspond to the signed Interstate, U.S., or state route numbers. DelDOT maintains a total of 5,386.14 miles (8,668.15 km) of roads, comprising 89 percent of the roads within the state. Some large bridges in the state are maintained by other agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Delaware River and Bay Authority. Roads in the system include multilane freeways, multilane surface divided highways, and two-lane undivided roads serving urban, suburban, and rural areas. Some of the roads maintained by DelDOT are toll roads, in which motorists must pay to use.
The first roads in Delaware were Native American trails and unpaved roads laid out by colonial Swedish and English settlers. From this time, counties were responsible for roads. In the 19th century, private companies operated several turnpikes radiating from Wilmington. Thomas Coleman DuPont proposed a modern road in 1908 to run the north–south length of the state; this road evolved into the DuPont Highway, which was completed by the state in 1923. The Delaware State Highway Department was formed on April 2, 1917 to construct a state highway system in Delaware. Numbered routes came with the creation of the U.S. Highway System in 1926; state route numbers appeared 10 years later. In 1935, the state took over the remaining county roads. In the middle part of the 20th century, several major roads were widened into divided highways. The creation of the Interstate Highway System in 1956 led to the construction of 40 miles (64 km) of freeway in northern New Castle County, including the tolled Delaware Turnpike. The Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) limited-access toll road between Dover and Wilmington was fully completed in 2003, and was the largest public works project in state history.
The Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes in Delaware are numbered according to a national numbering pattern. Interstate Highways that run north–south have odd numbers, increasing from west to east, while those that run east–west have even numbers, increasing from south to north. Major north–south Interstates have numbers ending in 5 while major east–west Interstates have numbers ending in 0. Three-digit Interstates begin with odd numbers if they are a spur and an even number if they are a bypass or beltway and repeat numbers in different states. As such, the major north–south Interstate along the East Coast, Interstate 95 (I-95), passes through northern New Castle County. I-495 bypasses the section of I-95 that runs through the city of Wilmington.
U.S. Routes that run north–south have odd numbers, increasing from east to west, while those that run east–west have even numbers, increasing from north to south. Major north–south U.S. Routes have numbers ending in 1 while major east–west U.S. Routes have numbers ending in 0. Three-digit U.S. Routes serve as branches of their parent route. As such, U.S. Route 13 (US 13) runs north–south through the entire length of Delaware while US 40, a major U.S. Route running from Utah to New Jersey, passes east–west through northern New Castle County. US 113 serves as a branch of US 13 in the southern part of the state. US 9 is an exception to the numbering pattern as it runs east–west across Sussex County, though the route runs north–south in New Jersey and New York.
State routes in Delaware are signed with the MUTCD default circular route marker, which consists of black numbers in a white circle on a rectangular black background. These routes are largely assigned in a pattern similar to the Interstate and U.S. routes. Odd-numbered routes generally run north–south and even-numbered routes generally run east–west. A grid pattern exists for several low-numbered east–west state routes that increases from north to south, starting with DE 2 in northern Delaware and continuing south to DE 26 in the southern part of the state. There is also a pattern for some low-numbered north–south routes beginning with DE 1 in the east and continuing to DE 11 in the west. Several routes in Delaware are numbered as continuations of Maryland and Pennsylvania state routes, without regard to the even/odd pattern. Examples include DE 52, which is a southern continuation of PA 52, and DE 273, which is an eastern continuation of MD 273. DE 48 was once connected to Route 48 in New Jersey by a ferry across the Delaware River. Most of the 3-digit state routes are or were continuations of routes from Maryland and Pennsylvania, with the exception of DE 141 and DE 202. The lowest numbered state route is DE 1, while the highest numbered route is DE 896.
Unlike some other states, Delaware does not prohibit duplication between route numbers of different systems. There are two examples of duplication between U.S. and state routes within Delaware. US 9 exists in Sussex County while DE 9 is located in Kent and New Castle counties. US 202 passes through the Wilmington area in northern New Castle County, with DE 202 heading south from an interchange with I-95 and US 202 along Concord Avenue into the city of Wilmington. DE 202 is signed along a former alignment of US 202.
Every road that is maintained by DelDOT, including Interstate, U.S., and state routes, is assigned a maintenance road number (also known as a reference number). The maintenance road numbers are only unique in a specific county and some roads can be designated with multiple road numbers. For example, Bryants Corner Road in Kent County is designated as Road 205, Road 103, and Road 219. Suffixed maintenance road numbers exist near their parent roads, often for a short alignment. For example, Woodland Ferry Road in Sussex County is designated Road 78, while Old Sailor Road, a short road branching off from it near Laurel, is designated as Road 78A. The maintenance road numbers are signed with little white markers at intersections showing the two roads that intersect each other and on auxiliary plates below warning signs approaching intersections.
Interstate, U.S., and state routes have maintenance road numbers that often do not match their signed route numbers. For instance, DE 261 in New Castle County is designated as Road 203. In Sussex County, several state routes largely have matching maintenance road numbers; for example, the entire length of DE 24 is designated Road 24. Some routes in Sussex County have maintenance road numbers that reflect former route designations; an example is the section of US 9 between Laurel and Georgetown which is designated Road 28, reflecting the former DE 28 designation along this stretch of road.