Route 13 Closure Finished Far Ahead Of Schedule

Crews completed the work, opened road in one day

Middletown -- When Delaware Department of Transportation crews re-opened Route 13 nears Boyds Corner late Saturday evening, they may have been smiling under their hardhats.

Hard work, meticulous planning and a healthy amount of midnight oil combined to allow crews to finish the planned closure within about 28 hours, nearly two days sooner than expected.

Both the northbound and southbound lanes were closed, starting at 7 p.m. Friday, so that crews could install drainage systems on the widened road. The closure was planned to finish Monday at 5 a.m. But crews were putting away the orange cones and opening the road at about 9 p.m., Saturday, about 40 hours ahead of schedule.

''We knew that this closure was going to inconvenience thousands of motorists, so we did everything we could to make this closure as short as possible,'' said DelDOT Secretary Carolann Wicks. ''To finish so early is a remarkable achievement for everyone who worked on this project. From the designers who conceived of the improvements, to the construction engineers who made plans, and, of course, we must congratulate the crews from A-Del Construction. We are fortunate in Delaware to work with such companies on a regular basis.''

Performed by A-Del Construction Company, the work is projected to be completed by Fall of 2010. The overall cost is $4.3 million.

This important safety project will provide an additional northbound and southbound lane on Route 13 from the intersection with Greylag Road to Augustine Creek. There will also be an additional left turn lane from Boyds Corner Road onto Route 13. The remaining turn-lanes will be lengthened to provide additional capacity. In addition to the road construction, crews will need to make significant changes to drainage, pavement markings and signage. Crews will also relocate many utilities such as power lines.

Future impacts will be announced as the project progresses.