All the ramps are now open at the reworked I-95 and Route 896 interchange near the University of Delaware in Newark, capping off a construction project that began with an official groundbreaking 1,240 days ago, according to DelDOT spokesperson C.R. McLeod. The overhaul added multiple new flyover ramps designed to separate traffic and eliminate the shared single lanes that had plagued the aging interchange for decades.
DelDOT has reported more than 700 crashes throughout the interchange in the four years before the project began, and drivers say they are already noticing a difference now that the project is essentially complete. As NBC10 Philadelphia reports, Reba Tome, who drives the interchange, said it now has a better flow with two lanes coming off. Lewis Kimble agreed, calling the improvement convenient and saying it keeps traffic flowing.
Decades of Weaving Traffic Prompted the Overhaul
The interchange first opened in the 1960s alongside I-95 itself, and its original single-lane ramps had long struggled to handle traffic volume that grew as the surrounding area's population, speeds and overall traffic increased, per the same report. Statewide transportation officials had confirmed separately that the interchange sees roughly 127,000 vehicles a day, with 60% of them using it to get on or off I-95, and had called it a major congestion point along both corridors, according to a project overview published ahead of construction.
To fix the weaving problem, engineers chose a double-flyover design meant to remove the conflicting merge patterns that had built up over the decades, according to the same project overview. One of the reconfigured connections, Ramp J, was realigned and widened to allow a two-lane exit from northbound Route 896 and a two-lane merge onto northbound I-95, per that overview.
New Ramps, But Some Quirks Remain for Maryland Drivers
The rebuilt interchange also included a dedicated fenced-off lane allowing pedestrians and cyclists to cross I-95 on foot or by bike, a feature not previously available at the crossing. Not every wrinkle has been ironed out, however: Maryland motorists heading north on I-95 still must use Exit 1 to reach downtown Newark, and from there they have to cross traffic at a stop sign just to reach northbound Route 896.
Overall, highway access to and from the area has improved, according to nearby drivers who use the interchange regularly and told NBC10 Philadelphia the project was worth the time and money.
Construction Headaches Near a Growing Commercial Corridor
The years of construction have not been without frustration for people who work nearby. Workers at a nearby pizza shop said the construction has been a headache throughout the project. Even so, new development is moving in around the interchange, with both a Wawa and a Dash In under construction near the site, signaling continued commercial growth along the corridor even as the roadwork wraps up.
The project's price tag remains murky, with different figures attached at different points. NBC10 Philadelphia's report on the near-complete project put the cost at roughly $300 million, while contractor Wagman has listed the project at $224 million, and engineering firm Kleinfelder has described it as a $240 million construction project. A separate 2023 estimate had placed the cost at more than $280 million. No figure has been reconciled as the definitive final total.
