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Delaware Route 30

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Delaware Route 30 marker
Delaware Route 30
Map
Route information
Maintained by DelDOT
Length44.94 mi[1] (72.32 km)
Existed1938[2]–present
Tourist
routes
Delaware Bayshore Byway
Major junctions
West endBi-State Boulevard between Laurel and Delmar
Major intersections
North end
Location
CountryUnited States
StateDelaware
CountiesSussex
Highway system
DE 28 DE 32

Delaware Route 30 (DE 30) is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs from an intersection with Bi-State Boulevard a short distance west of U.S. Route 13 (US 13) between Laurel and Delmar to DE 1 Business (DE 1 Bus.) southeast of Milford in the area of Lincoln and Cedar Creek. The road runs east to Gumboro, where it turns north on the Millsboro Highway to Millsboro. Along this road, DE 30 shares concurrencies with DE 26, DE 54, and DE 24. From Millsboro, the route passes through Gravel Hill and to the west of Milton before reaching Milford. DE 30 is signed as an east-west road from the southern terminus to the east end of the DE 24 concurrency in Millsboro and as a north-south road from that point until the northern terminus.

What is now DE 30 south of Gravel Hill was built as a state highway in various stages during the 1920s and 1930s. A short-lived DE 30 in the 1930s ran from DE 20 in Seaford north and east to DE 404 northwest of Bridgeville. The current DE 30 was first designated by 1938 to connect DE 24 in Millsboro to DE 5 in Milton. The route was rerouted to end at DE 14 (now DE 1) south of Milford by 1971. DE 30 was extended southwest to Bi-State Boulevard by 1994 and its northern terminus was moved to DE 1 Bus. by way of a new road by 2003. An interchange with DE 1 was completed in 2014. DE 30 formerly had an alternate route, DE 30 Alternate (DE 30 Alt.), that was created by 1999 to connect the route with DE 1 by way of Johnson Road and was removed by 2017.

Route description

DE 26/DE 30 eastbound in Gumboro

DE 30 begins at an intersection with Bi-State Boulevard in southwestern Sussex County between the towns of Laurel and Delmar, heading east on two-lane undivided Whitesville Road. A short distance later, the road crosses US 13 at a superstreet intersection, in which DE 30 traffic must turn right, use U-turn ramps along US 13, and turn right again to continue on DE 30. Following this, the road runs through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes to the south of Trap Pond State Park, crossing James Branch. The route turns southeast before it curves to the east again. Farther east, DE 30 comes to an intersection with DE 26/DE 54.[3][4]

At this point, DE 30 turns northeast to form a concurrency with DE 26/DE 54 on Millsboro Highway. The road curves north and heads into the residential community Gumboro, where DE 54 splits to the east. DE 26/DE 30 leaves Gumboro and continues back into areas of farms and forests with occasional residences. In Shaft Ox Corner, DE 26 splits to the east and DE 30 heads north to an intersection with DE 24 in Mission.[3][4]

Here, DE 24 turns north to join DE 30, with the road running northeast. Farther along, residential development increases as the road heads into the town of Millsboro. At this point, the road names becomes Laurel Road and it reaches an intersection with US 113/DE 20. Past this intersection, DE 24/DE 30 turns north-northeast on Washington Street. The two routes split into a one-way pair that heads north, following Main Street eastbound and Washington Street westbound. The road crosses the Delmarva Central Railroad's Indian River Subdivision line at-grade. The one-way pair runs through the downtown area of Millsboro, rejoining along two-way Main Street and crossing Indian River to the east of Millsboro Pond. A short distance later, DE 24 and DE 30 split at an intersection.[3][4]

DE 30 northbound past US 9/DE 404 in Gravel Hill

Upon splitting from DE 24, DE 30 signage changes from east-west to north-south and the route leaves Millsboro. It continues north on Gravel Hill Road, passing to the east of Millsboro Pond. The road heads through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes, coming to a junction with Morris Mill Road/Mt. Joy Road. In the community of Zoar, the route intersects DE 24 Alt. Farther north, DE 30 has a junction with Springfield Road/Johnson Road before it reaches the community of Gravel Hill. In Gravel Hill, the road crosses the Delmarva Central Railroad's Lewes Industrial Track line at-grade and comes to an intersection with US 9/DE 404. From this point, the route curves northwest, reaching a junction with Shingle Point Road, before bending north again. DE 30 intersects DE 5 Alt., which serves as a western bypass of the town of Milton for DE 5. Here, DE 5 Alt. turns north to form a concurrency with DE 30, with the road crossing an abandoned railroad grade just east of the terminus of the Delmarva Central Railroad's Milton Industrial Track line. At an intersection with DE 16, DE 5 Alt. heads east along with that route and DE 30 continues north on Isaacs Road.[3][4]

The route heads away from Milton and crosses Sowbridge Branch as it passes to the east of Reynolds Pond. DE 30 intersects Cedar Creek Road and turns northwest onto that road, curving north. The route turns back to the northwest at the Jefferson Road/Sylvan Acres Road intersection at Jefferson Crossroads. The road heads through the Cedar Creek area and crosses Cedar Creek to the east of Swiggets Pond before it intersects Johnson Road. DE 30 continues north-northwest and comes to ramps providing access to and from the southbound lanes of DE 1. At this point, the route gains a center left-turn lane and passes east of Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus before it reaches an intersection with Wilkins Road, which provides access to and from the northbound lanes of DE 1 at an interchange. Past this intersection, DE 30 turns northwest and passes between residential subdivisions to the southwest and DE 1 to the northeast as a two-lane road, coming to its northern terminus at an intersection with DE 1 Bus. at the point that route merges into DE 1 at an interchange southeast of the city of Milford. DE 30 has access to northbound DE 1 Bus. and access from southbound DE 1 Bus.[3][4]

The section of DE 30 between DE 24 and DE 1 serves as part of a primary hurricane evacuation route from areas along the inland bays in eastern Sussex County to points inland while the sections of DE 30 concurrent with DE 54 and between DE 26 and DE 24 serve as part of a secondary hurricane evacuation route from the coastal areas.[5] The section of the route between DE 16 near Milton and DE 1 Bus. in Milford is designated as part of the Delaware Bayshore Byway, a Delaware Byway and National Scenic Byway.[6][7] DE 30 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 34,023 vehicles at the east end of the DE 24 concurrency to a low of 1,087 vehicles at the intersection with DE 26/DE 54.[1] None of DE 30 is part of the National Highway System.[8]

History

DE 30 southbound past Wilkins Road in Milford

By 1920, what is now DE 30 existed as a state highway between Mission and Phillips Hill and was proposed as one between Phillips Hill and Millsboro, with the remainder of the route existing as a county road.[9] The state highway between Phillips Hill and Millsboro was completed by 1924.[10] The state highway portion of the present-day route was extended from Mission to Gumboro a year later, with a section in the Gumboro area under proposal as a state highway.[11] By 1931, the road was completed as a state highway between US 13 and Jones Branch and from James Branch to Gumboro. In addition, the state highway was completed from Millsboro to north of Gravel Hill as an unpaved road, with a portion north of Gravel Hill becoming a paved county road.[12] The state highway between US 13 and Gumboro was fully complete the following year.[13] By 1936, the road between Millsboro and Gravel Hill was paved.[14]

DE 30 was first designated in 1936 to run from DE 20 in Seaford north and east to DE 404 northwest of Bridgeville, heading north and crossing DE 18 in Atlanta before turning east to reach DE 404.[15] This was eliminated by 1938, and is now Atlanta Road and Dublin Hill Road. By 1938, DE 30 was designated to run from DE 24 in Millsboro north to DE 5 in Milton, following its current alignment to north of Gravel Hill and then running along Shingle Point Road north into Milton.[2] A portion of current DE 30 south of the DE 16 intersection was paved a year later.[16] By 1952, the current route of DE 30 north of Gravel Hill was paved.[17] DE 30 was rerouted to follow its present alignment north to DE 14 (now DE 1) south of Milford by 1971.[18] By 1994, DE 30 was extended west from Millsboro to its current terminus at Bi-State Boulevard.[19] The northern terminus of DE 30 was moved to its current location at DE 1 Bus. by 2003 when a road connecting DE 30 to DE 1 Bus. was completed.[20] In November 2012, construction began on an interchange at DE 1 southeast of Milford. The interchange between DE 1 and DE 30 was completed in July 2014.[21] On February 29, 2016, construction began on a superstreet intersection at US 13; this project was completed on May 19 of that year.[22]

In 2021, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) proposed eliminating the portion of DE 30 west of Millsboro, which would leave the southern terminus of the route at the intersection between DE 24 and Gravel Hill Road. The elimination of this portion of the route is being proposed to remove the concurrencies DE 30 has with other numbered routes along Millsboro Highway, reducing sign clutter and motorist confusion. In addition, the section of DE 30 west of Millsboro Highway has no shoulders, low traffic volumes, and ends at a minor intersection with Bi-State Boulevard; the removal of this section of DE 30 may redirect long-distance and truck traffic to use DE 24, DE 26, and DE 54 instead, which have higher traffic volumes and full-width shoulders. The decommissioning is proposed to take place in 2022.[23]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Sussex County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
0.000.00Bi-State BoulevardWestern terminus
0.540.87 US 13 (Sussex Highway)Superstreet intersection
Gumboro10.7317.27

DE 26 west / DE 54 west (Millsboro Highway)
West end of DE 26/DE 54 overlap
12.2719.75
DE 54 east (Cypress Road)
East end of DE 54 overlap
Shaft Ox Corner15.5825.07
DE 26 east (Nine Foot Road) – Dagsboro, Frankford
East end of DE 26 overlap
Mission16.5026.55
DE 24 west (Laurel Road) – Laurel
West end of DE 24 overlap
Millsboro21.5234.63 US 113 / DE 20 (Dupont Boulevard) – Georgetown, Dagsboro
22.3135.90
DE 24 east (John J. Williams Highway)
East end of DE 24 overlap
Zoar25.9141.70
DE 24 Alt. (Zoar Road)
Gravel Hill30.7749.52 US 9 / DE 404 (Lewes Georgetown Highway) – Georgetown, Harbeson, Lewes, Rehoboth Beach
Milton35.1156.50

DE 5 Alt. south (Sand Hill Road)
South end of DE 5 Alt. overlap
36.2358.31

DE 16 / DE 5 Alt. north (Milton Ellendale Highway) – Ellendale, Milton
North end of DE 5 Alt. overlap
Milford44.7972.08 DE 1 (Coastal Highway) – Lewes, DoverInterchange; access to and from northbound DE 1 via Wilkins Road
44.9472.32

DE 1 Bus. north (South Rehoboth Boulevard)
Northern terminus; access to northbound DE 1 Bus. and from southbound DE 1 Bus.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Delaware Route 30 Alternate

Alt plate.svg
Delaware Route 30 Alternate marker
Delaware Route 30 Alternate
LocationCedar Creek
Length0.74 mi[24] (1,190 m)
Existed1999[25]–2017[3]

Delaware Route 30 Alternate (DE 30 Alt.) was a 0.74 mi (1.19 km)[24] alternate route of DE 30 south of the city of Milford in the Cedar Creek area. It ran from DE 30 northeast to DE 1 along two-lane undivided Johnson Road, passing through a mix of farmland, woodland, and residential development.[26][27] The route was created by 1999.[25] DE 30 Alt. originally had full access to and from DE 1, but the median crossover was modified in 2011 to only allow access from DE 30 Alt. to southbound DE 1 while retaining access to DE 30 Alt. from both directions of DE 1.[27][28] The DE 30 Alt. designation was removed from the road by 2017.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Staff (2018). "Traffic Count and Mileage Report: Interstate, Delaware, and US Routes" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Delaware State Highway Department; The National Survey Co. (1938). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Delaware Department of Transportation (2017). Official Travel & Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e "overview of Delaware Route 30" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  5. ^ Delmarva Peninsula Evacuation Route Map (PDF) (Map). Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  6. ^ "Delaware Bayshore Byway". Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  7. ^ "2021 Summary of Designated Byways" (PDF). National Scenic Byways Program. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  8. ^ National Highway System: Delaware (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  9. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1920). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  10. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1924). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  11. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1925). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  12. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1931). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  13. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1932). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  14. ^ Delaware State Highway Department; The National Survey Co. (1936). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map) (1936–1937 ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  15. ^ "1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Delaware - Sussex County - ED 3-1 - ED 3-57". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  16. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1939). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  17. ^ Delaware State Highway Department (1952). Official Highway Map of Delaware (PDF) (Map) (1952–1953 ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  18. ^ Delaware Department of Highways and Transportation (1971). Delaware Highways Official Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Highways and Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  19. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation Division of Planning Cartographic Information Section (1994). Delaware Official State Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  20. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (2003). Delaware Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  21. ^ "Routes 1 and 30 Grade Separated Intersection Completed" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. July 25, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  22. ^ "US 13 at SR30/Dorothy Road". Delaware Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  23. ^ "SR 30 Declassification: Delmar/Laurel to Millsboro". Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  24. ^ a b Staff (2011). "Traffic Count and Mileage Report: Sussex County" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  25. ^ a b Delaware Department of Transportation (1999). Delaware Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  26. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (2012). Delaware Transportation & Tourism Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation.
  27. ^ a b "overview of Delaware Route 30 Alternate" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  28. ^ "Route 1 and 30/Wilkins Road Intersection To Close" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. September 6, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
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