Ground is broken for Millsboro bypass

Gov. John Carney, Sen. Tom Carper, and officials from Sussex County and Millsboro joined Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski March 31 for a groundbreaking to mark the start of the north Millsboro bypass project.

Several officials commented that they had attended meetings on the project 30 years ago.

The bypass includes a new grade-separated intersection at Route 20 and Route 113. The route is north of Millsboro, across Millsboro Pond, Route 30 and Hollyville Road, ending at Route 24 near Mountaire Farms.

“We continue to make significant infrastructure investments in Sussex County, and the new bypass is greatly needed for one of the fastest-growing areas in Delaware. Residents and area businesses that have experienced this long-term congestion will have an improved quality of life with a new alternative route for traffic,” Carney said.

“Today’s groundbreaking is the start of a project that will bring safety, efficiency and reliability to Route 24. By taking trucks out of the center of Millsboro, we are enhancing safety, while making Sussex County a more attractive place to live and do business,” Carper said.

Majeski added, “We are excited to see this project get underway, as it will address one of the largest bottlenecks in Sussex County. Along with the new grade-separated interchange at Route 113 and Route 20, we are making roads safer as this area continues to grow.”

The nearly $140 million project is expected to be completed in spring 2025. The contractor is R.E. Pierson Construction Company of Pilesgrove, N.J.

“I feel the pain and understand the time lost,” said Rep. Ruth Briggs King, R-Georgetown. “Traffic issues in Millsboro used to be on weekends, and now it’s year-round.”

Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, said a lot of people kept telling him there were three DelDOT projects that would never happen: Millsboro bypass, improvements at Five Points and the Park Avenue realignment.

“Now all three are happening with support from our federal legislators and securing the transportation trust fund,” he said. “Travel will be safer and more efficient, and save a lot of headaches, especially at peak times in Millsboro.”

Sen. Gerald Hocker, R-Ocean View, said when he took office 20 years ago, he pushed for an east-west corridor study. “I thought Route 24 would be first on the list, but they worked on Route 54 and Route 26. Now it’s finally Route 24,” he said.

Rep. Jeff Hilovsky, R-Long Neck, said when he moved to the area in 1993, the first meeting he attended was one on a proposed Millsboro bypass. “When I was campaigning, the two biggest issues were public safety and road congestion,” he said.