The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is working on a stretch of the I-95 to I-295 interchange to improve traffic flow in New Castle, Delaware. The current project (the I-295 Northbound, SR 141 to U.S. 13 Project), which DelDOT is performing in conjunction with general contractor Mumford and Miller Concrete, Inc., is one of many that they have performed in the area in the last 10 years or so.

New Castle is approximately 10 miles south of Wilmington, Delaware, just west of the Wilmington Airport, and 30-plus miles from downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The average daily traffic along I-295 northbound is approximately 56,000. There is significant congestion during weekday rush hours, as many use the route to commute to work in Wilmington and Philadelphia. Another heavily trafficked time is summer and holiday weekends, with significant traffic headed to New Jersey and other northern destinations.

I-95 runs through the area and continues into Pennsylvania. U.S. 13 continues west of the project area and also goes into Pennsylvania. It connects to I-Route 291, which runs past Philadelphia International Airport.

The backups can run for miles, with drivers experiencing congestion 15 minutes out. To minimize the congestion and offer drivers a more reliable drive time, DelDOT is adding capacity.

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The project page on DelDOT’s website lists 10 improvements that the project will make:

• Reconstruction and pavement widening along I-95 northbound to add a sixth travel lane and I-295 northbound to add a third travel lane from Airport Road, Exit 5A to U.S. 13.
• Reconfiguring I-95 northbound, Exit 5A, and Airport Road to a roundabout to facilitate easier traffic operations at the intersection for motorists.
• Reconfiguring and lengthening the acceleration lane onto I-295 northbound from southbound SR 141, Exit 2 for improved safety and operation.
• Reconfiguring the U.S. 13 interchange. Two ramps, one from I-495 southbound and another from I-295 northbound, converge to a single lane for a short distance to access U.S. 13 northbound or I-295 northbound ramps. The project proposes maintaining two ramp lanes in this area to lengthen the weave condition for improved operation and safety.
• Upgrading overhead signage and lighting.
• Installing a new overhead variable message sign.
• Construction of one retaining wall to minimize environmental impacts.
• Improved drainage.
• Constructing a stormwater facility adjacent to the Airport Road roundabout to collect and manage runoff from storm events.
• Incorporation of new intelligent transportation system devices.

The main element that will improve capacity is the addition of lanes. I-95 northbound will go from five to six lanes. The additional lane will run for 0.25 miles. The team is also adding a lane on I-295 northbound, so that the route will have three lanes. The additional lane will run for 2.25 miles.

The stretch of the corridor also has seen an excessive number of crashes. Over three years, approximately 340 crashes were reported within the project limits. DelDOT expects the improvements to lead to a reduction in crashes in this section of the corridor.

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Maryland-based Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT) is the project designer. Their task was complicated because of another project in the area.

"During design, JMT had to take into account that this project was overlapping another one in the area," said Herbert Monsalud, a Resident Engineer with DelDOT.

Monsalud, who is overseeing the project, noted that the team needed to finish certain portions early on so there was no more overlap.

If the issues — which included inputting overhead signs — had not been completed in time, the schedule would have been adversely affected due to delay on overhead structure steel and sign panels.

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The team gathered soil samples with the help of the DelDOT Environmental HazMat section and sent them to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to be examined for contamination. Fortunately, the materials were not contaminated. The team had up to 60 days to close a nearby ramp.

"It's a very condensed area, so there's not much room to stockpile the excavated materials," Monsalud said. "So, we did it by portion, and we covered the stockpiled dirt with plastic while we waited for the results of the soil sample."

When it came back negative from contamination, the team had to do significant excavation as per the design and worked 24/7 to complete the task.

The state insists that all lanes remain open during construction during the daytime. Some lane and ramp closures occurred at night. Night work, which takes place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., has been used to remove and install barriers and overhead signs, striping, and paint.

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Therefore, most of the work is taking place during the day. Steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the crew and drivers. Originally, drums were used to cordon off the work area.

"We decided the drums were not sufficiently safe, so we put temporary concrete barriers down in the work zone," Monsalud said. Some of the temporary concrete barriers are pinned to the road.

When work occurs at night, local police are present in the area to remind drivers of the need for safety and reduced speeds.

Finally, the crew gets regular reminders of the necessary precautions.

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"We have monthly meetings and we remind everyone to wear their PPE [personal protective equipment] and to be aware of where they are," Monsalud said. "If a vehicle hits the barrier, it could move, so we remind the team to not go near the barriers."

The condensed work area also impacted design. The project was broken into smaller steps, so rather than excavating and grading the entire area at once, it is done in pieces.

The project began in the summer of 2024, and it was expected to be completed by the end of 2025. However, the contractor requested and received a three-month extension due to the challenge regarding soil check and weather issues.

The construction budget for the project is $21.5 million. This project is 100 percent federally funded. At the time of writing this article, it is on budget. Monsalud explained that the team has followed the plan, and no major changes have occurred. He added that the major work has yet to take place.

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Monsalud is confident that the team will handle any challenges that arise.

"We have a good team on this project — DelDOT, designer, contractor, inspectors — and we're all on the same page and have the same goals," he said.

Mumford and Miller Concrete is a Delaware-based contractor that works with DelDOT regularly. Monsalud, who worked with the contractor previously, notes that the company knows the ins and outs of the project and how DelDOT works.

"Mumford and Miller are proactive, as [they] let us know about issues as soon as they arise,” Monsalud said. “For example, they recognized an issue with the grades on a roundabout on Airport Road. They alerted us to the issue and asked us to take a look. We found the issue and three days later got back the right information and proceeded on."

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According to Monsalud, some companies would have proceeded regardless, leading to future problems.

When the project is complete, congestion through the corridor will be eased. Drivers should no longer be stuck in backups, as traffic will move through the area more efficiently.

• Owner: Delaware Department of Transportation
• General Contractor: Mumford and Miller, Inc., Middletown, Delaware
• Project Designer: JMT, Hunt Valley, Maryland
• Inspection: KCI Technologies Inc., Newark, Delaware