DelDOT plans to re-envision Route 16

By 2050, the number of cars traveling along Route 16 between Milton and Ellendale could nearly double.

That projection was presented during the Delaware Department of Transportation’s Coastal Corridors meeting March 19 at Mariner Middle School in Milton.

After four-plus years of work, the Coastal Corridors group is wrapping up. Its goal is to identify short-, medium- and long-term traffic solutions for east-west corridors between Route 113 and Route 1. The group has worked to inform stakeholders throughout the process to build consensus and support for recommendations.

In total, 40 recommendations were made – 15 for Route 16, 14 for Route 9 and 11 that are general in nature. The next steps are finalizing the plan and implementation. This article will focus on Route 16; a separate story on Route 9 will follow.

Leah Kacanda of DelDOT consultant Whitman, Requardt and Associates said many of the recommendations are focused on providing safe multimodal transportation to ensure bicyclists and pedestrians can travel along and across what are expected to be busier roads in the future.

Steve Harr of WRA said the team tracked vehicles from the Bay Bridge to see where they traveled. While many vehicles continued on Route 50 to points south, a large group broke off into Delaware. The focus area for the Coastal Corridors study zeroed in on the area between Route 113 and Route 1. The study found 8,000 to 8,300 vehicles use Route 16 daily through Ellendale. The numbers held strong to the western side of Milton, with 7,200 to 8,000 travelers daily. While many dispersed at Route 30 and other Milton roads, 7,000 to 7,500 continued on east of Milton. Projections show the daily traffic count could reach as high as 15,000 by 2050 due to planned residential developments near Milton and Ellendale, Harr said.

Kacanda said there are several recommendations for the section of Route 16 within Milton.

Milton officials have an interest in re-envisioning Route 16 through its in-town area as a mixed-use main street that serves all modes of traffic and supports local businesses, she said.

She said current and projected traffic counts do not support widening Route 16 to four lanes. However, a corridor study is necessary to determine a long-term vision for Route 16 in Milton. Among other things, the study would determine if a bypass of Milton for through traffic is necessary. DelDOT envisions a bypass beginning east of the Route 16/Route 30 intersection and converging with Route 16 east of Milton.

The corridor study is slated to kick off in fiscal year 2025. The team is already documenting existing conditions.

The study will work in tandem with the newly created Milton Transportation Advisory Group, which will begin meeting this spring. Kacanda said DelDOT has been working with Councilwoman Randi Meredith to get the ball rolling. The group will develop the Milton Active Transportation Plan. The group will be used to collect additional feedback from stakeholders about desired bike and pedestrian facilities along Route 16 and throughout town.

The group will also provide feedback on the corridor study. 

There are also a few notable projects that are unrelated to the Coastal Corridors study but along Route 16, including a planned roundabout at the intersection with Route 30 at Kemp Liquors. Currently, there are no dates announced for construction or completion. The plan is to shift the intersection west. There are also major intersection improvements planned at Route 16 and Union Street as part of the Royal Farms project. In Ellendale, a grade-separated interchange is planned for Route 16 at Route 113. The construction timeline is yet to be determined. 

Route 16 recommendations

• Ensure a low-stress pedestrian and bicycle connection is provided between downtown Ellendale and the Enclave at Starwood as part of the Route 113/Route 16 grade-separated interchange project
• Assess current and projected use of N. Old State Road and Fleatown Road as secondary access to Route 113 for new developments on N. Old State Road. Determine whether any safety, capacity or geometric improvements are warranted
• Improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities along and across Route 16 in Ellendale. Explore feasibility of eliminating on-street parking to provide bike lanes. Identify sidewalk gaps, and explore the provision of ADA-compliant sidewalks and crossings of Route 16
• Require incoming development to provide bicycle and pedestrian connections to Route 16 proportionate to the scale and type of development, and upgrade existing sidewalks to current ADA standards where applicable
• Conduct a high-level feasibility assessment of a low-stress bike connection between Ellendale and Milton. This assessment should include looking at rail-with-trail improvements
• Ensure proposed roundabout at Route 16 and Route 30 consolidates access points, and provides safe pedestrian and bicycle connectivity through the intersection
• Conduct traffic and circulation analysis of Mulberry Street Extended and the Route 16/Mulberry Street intersection to determine appropriate capacity and crossing improvements
• Ensure proposed developer improvements at Route 1/Route 5 intersection provide adequate capacity improvements, and pedestrian and bicycle improvements. Conduct a signal phasing study once improvements are confirmed to optimize circulation
• Explore feasibility and benefits of a Route 16 bypass around Milton that would diverge from Route 16 east of the Route 16/Route 30 intersection and reconverge with Route 16 east of Milton town limits
• Explore the feasibility of widening Route 16 through Milton to accommodate future growth
• Improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities along and across Route 16 in Milton. Determine the appropriate short-term bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Identify sidewalk gaps and explore the provision of ADA-compliant sidewalks and crossings of Route 16
• Plan for bicycle and pedestrian facilities along and across Route 16 in Milton in consideration of long-term improvements. Determine appropriate bicycle facility type and fill existing sidewalk gaps in consideration of future vehicular volumes if a bypass is provided. Potential improvements could include crossing improvements, traffic calming, bump outs, on-street parking, lower speeds and wayfinding signage
• Work with Delaware Transit Corp. via the DART Reimagined process to ensure adequate transit service to accommodate growth and support commuting in Ellendale and Milton
• Explore feasibility for providing bicycle parking adjacent to bus stops in Ellendale and Milton
• Explore the feasibility of requiring bicycle parking in conjunction with private development.