Skip to main content

Interstate 495 in Delaware

By


Interstate 495 within Delaware is a 11.47-mile auxiliary of Interstate 95 and bypass of downtown Wilmington.  Interstate 495 opened during 1977 and between 1978-1980 briefly served as mainline Interstate 95 while the South Wilmington Viaduct was being reconstructed.  Interstate 495 in addition to bypassing downtown Wilmington serves as access to the Port of Wilmington.  


Part 1; the history of Interstate 495

During 1948 the Wilmington Transportation Study proposed two limited access corridors to connect from Wilmington to the Pennsylvania State Line.  The first corridor would have followed what is now Interstate 95 (Plan A) whereas the second followed what is now modern Interstate 495 (Plan B) as a bypass of Wilmington.  By 1950 Plan A was selected as a limited access corridor from downtown Wilmington to the Pennsylvania State Line.  

On June 29th, 1956, the Federal Highway Aid Act of 1956 was signed into law on the Federal Level.  The Federal Highway Aid Act of 1956 was the genesis point of the Interstate Highway System and established the corridor of Federal Aid-Interstate #3.  Federal Aid-Interstate #3 would go through the process of design during 1960 and be assigned the designation of Interstate 495 during 1962.  

Construction of Interstate 495 would commence during 1968.  The Christina River Bridge would be completed by 1975 and first completed segment of Interstate 495 between US Route 13 to Interstate 95 in Claymont would open during 1976.  During June 1977 the remainder of Interstate 495 would open to traffic. 

On June 28, 1978, the AASHTO approved realigning Interstate 95 onto Interstate 495.  Existing Interstate 95 through Wilmington was requested to be designated as Interstate 595.  The justification for moving Interstate 95 to Interstate 495 was the higher capacity of the then new freeway bypass which had been completed during 1977.  A secondary justification is noted to be the reconstruction of Interstate 95 through Wilmington.  The designation of existing Interstate 95 through Wilmington as Interstate 595 was deferred by the AASHTO in favor of designating a suggested even numbered three-digit Interstate. 








What had been Interstate 95 through Wilmington was approved to be signed as Interstate 195 and Interstate 395 by the AASHTO on October 27, 1978.  Interstate 395 was to be designated from US Route 202 in Wilmington to what had been the Interstate 495 interchange near the Pennsylvania State Line.  Interstate 195 was to be designated from what was the southern Interstate 495 interchange to Delaware Route 141 in Wilmington.  





Interstate 195 and Interstate 395 through Wilmington were approved by the AASHTO to be renumbered to Interstate 895 on June 26, 1979.  








Interstate 95 was redesignated along the corridor of Interstate 895 by the AASHTO on November 15, 1980.  Likewise, the corridor Interstate 495 was restored to what had been briefly designated as Interstate 95.  The justification for restoring the corridor of Interstate 95 was that the project through Wilmington had been completed. 





During June 2014 the Christina River Bridge on Interstate 495 was closed for emergency repairs after tilting support columns were discovered.  The southbound lanes of Interstate 495 would reopen on July 31st whereas the northbound lanes would reopen on August 23th.  


Part 2; a drive on Interstate 495

South of Wilmington, Interstate 495 splits from northbound Interstate 95 via a right-hand transition.  Traffic headed to Philadelphia and the Port of Wilmington are directed onto Interstate 495. 




Traffic on Interstate 495 northbound is advised the Port of Wilmington is 2 miles away whereas Philadelphia is 30 miles.  Interstate 495 is named the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. 


Interstate 495 northbound Exit 1 accesses US Route 13 Business in Wilmington. 



Interstate 495 northbound Exit 2 accesses Delaware Route 9A and the Port of Wilmington.  



Interstate 495 northbound crosses the Christina River Bridge and accesses 12th Street at Exit 3.  





Northbound Interstate 495 Exit 4 accesses Delaware Route 3 and US Route 13 in Edgemoor.




Interstate 495 northbound follows the shore of the Delaware River to Exit 5/US Route 13 in Claymont.  Interstate 495 terminates at Interstate 95 in Claymont approaching the Pennsylvania State Line.  






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

By
The Crescent City Connection is a massive dual-span steel truss bridge that spans the lower Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans, about 95 river miles upstream from the mouth of the great river at the Head of Passes Light. If counted as a single bi-directional highway bridge, the parallel spans combine to form the single busiest bridge on the Mississippi River and its importance as a linchpin in the region’s transportation network cannot be overstated. While there have been various schemes over the years to construct bridges downriver from Algiers Point, this bridge has been the southernmost bridge on the Mississippi River since its initial construction in the 1950s. The years immediately following the end of World War II were a transformational period in the history of New Orleans. Already one of the great economic and cultural centers of the American Deep South, it was recognized at this time that major changes and improvements to the city’s transportation infrastructure would b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old US Route 99 through Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch

By
This summer I had a look into the alignment history of US Route 99 through the Tulare County communities of Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch.  While this slab below might seem like much it is one of the few remaining reminders of how US Route 99 was during the 1920s in Tulare County. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Route 99 in Tipton, Tulare, and Tagus Ranch Tipton and Tulare were both founded in 1872 as sidings of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Southern Pacific Railroad laid the groundwork for development of southern San Joaquin Valley.  Previous to the Southern Pacific Railroad travel via wagon or foot in Central California tended to avoid San Joaquin Valley in favor of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  The Stockton Los Ange...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 101 and California State Route 41 through Paso Robles

By
Paso Robles is a city located on the Salinas River of San Luis Obispo County, California.  As originally configured the surface alignments of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 converged in downtown Paso Robles.  US Route 101 originally was aligned through Paso Robles via Spring Street.  California State Route 41 entered the City of Paso Robles via Union Road and 13th Street where it intersected US Route 101 at Spring Street.  US Route 101 and California State Route 41 departed Paso Robles southbound via a multiplex which split near Templeton.   Pictured above is the cover of the September/October 1957 California Highways & Public Works which features construction of the Paso Robles Bypass.  Pictured below is the 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Luis Obispo County which depicts US Route 101 and California State Route 41 intersecting in downtown Paso Robles.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 and California State Route 41 i...
Post a Comment
Read more