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Bear – The section of Route 72 north of Route 40, that has been closed due to construction for over two months, has reopened.

NCCo Traffic Alert: Route 72 north of Route 40 is reopening today. A-Del Construction has completed the replacement of the culvert and conducted stream restoration of Belltown Run underneath the north/south corridor that runs from Delaware City, through Bear and into Newark. — DelDOT (@DelawareDOT) August 26, 2018

Orginal Story

Crews to begin work on the Route 72 / Route 40 intersection improvement project this week. Route 72 north of Route 40 for will be closed for at least ten weeks, according to The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT).

The DelDOT contractor, A-Del Construction will be replacing the culvert and conducting stream restoration of Belltown Run underneath the roadway.

The closure was scheduled to begin Sunday, June 10, 2018 and to reopened Monday, August 27th. Traffic is moving at the intersection currently. It’s unclear if the rain over the weekend has delayed the closure.

Drivers will need to seek alternate routes. Route 896 and Salem Church Road will experience heavy traffic during the weeks long closure.

Current Configuration

DelDOt says this project will address congestion issues through the intersection. Without improvements, delay times at the intersection will be three to four times greater in 2020 than in 2000. While a grade separation is not feasible due to property and visual impacts, additional lanes are needed to improve congestion during the peak hours.

Additional lanes along northbound and southbound SR 72 will extend several hundred feet beyond the intersection to provide adequate storage and taper lengths. Additional left-turn lanes will be constructed along both eastbound and westbound US 40. Del Laws Road will be realigned to reduce the existing skew and align it with the proposed access to the Fox Run Business Center and a traffic signal will be installed at SR 72 and Del Laws Road. Pedestrian and bicycle facilities will also be constructed.

Learn more about this project.