The Delaware Department of Transportation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $44 million State Route 1 Little Heaven Grade Separated Intersection project Thursday.
Construction began in November 2015 of the nearly three miles stretch of the state route. Exits and on-ramps to northbound and southbound bound lanes are now open to traffic.
Before construction began, the intersection at Route 1 and Bowers Beach Road was congested and put vehicles that were turning at risk for side-impact crashes. During the summer, beach traffic caused lengthy backups.
To help solve this issue, the route was reconfigured so that it crosses over Bowers Beach Road and six other intersections were eliminated. This expansion allows traffic to continue north and south without stopping.
“The completion of the Little Heaven grade-separated intersection marks another step toward making Route 1 safer and easier for the local community and travelers,” state Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan said. “We have now eliminated all of the traffic signals along Route 1 in Kent County, easing the flow of local traffic to, from, and across the highway. And, for people traveling along Route 1, frustrating and time-consuming backups at lights along Route 1 in Kent County are now a thing of the past. We look forward to continuing similar improvements statewide.”