First Phase of Massive I-95 Reconstruction Gets Underway in Wilmington

The first project related to a massive, three year overhaul of I-95 through the city of Wilmington will begin on Wednesday, April 15, with the removal of ramps and bridge structures.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) says work will begin to remove the existing I-95 southbound on-ramps and bridge structures for the 2^nd Street and Jackson Street ramps.  DelDOT will be building a new ramp configuration for access to I-95 southbound as part of this construction.

The main portion of the I-95 Rehabilitation Project is scheduled to begin in March of 2021 and expected to last three years.  The 6-mile construction project will stretch from I-495 to north of the Brandywine River with the purpose of increasing the safety and longevity of the critical artery. Much of the work will be focused on the Wilmington viaduct,  a bridge built in 1964 and widened in 1978. 

DelDOT says the project will extend life of the roadway 30 years.

Major traffic implications

Transportation officials say the work will cause major disruptions and traffic delays from March 2021 onward.  At that time, Stage 2 of the project will completely close I-95 northbound for 10 months.  During Stage 3 of the project, the southbound lanes will alternate closure, once the northbound lanes are open.

The 2^nd Street on-ramp to I-95 southbound will close on Saturday, May 2, 2020, and will remain closed for the duration of the project. The Jackson Street on-ramp to I-95 southbound will close in August 2020.

There will be nighttime intermittent lane closures from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. Sunday to Friday, and road closures during certain phases of this construction. Traffic alerts and variable message boards will be posted to alert motorists of scheduled road closures.

Additional left-turn lanes will also be added on Lancaster Avenue to Adams Street and 2^nd Street to the new reconfigured on-ramp.

This initial portion of the I-95 work will cost nearly $20 million, and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2020. The new ramp will remain open continuously during the main portion of the I-95 work.

Go here for more information on the I-95 Wilmington rehabilitation project.