Located in New Castle County, Delaware, the Interstate 95 at State Route 896 interchange had seen short-term fixes with varying degrees of success while the Delaware Department of Transportation advanced the solution of a complete realignment. Kleinfelder provided services throughout the project, including transportation and bridge engineering, constructability reviews, and utility coordination.

Interchange Realignment

The purpose of the interchange reconfiguration included safety and traffic operations, enhanced mobility and capacity for both local and regional passenger and freight traffic, and enhanced multimodal mobility. This $240 million construction project consists of complete ramp realignments and other geometric improvements.

The new interchange configuration creates a flyover for southbound I-95 traffic to southbound SR 896, as well as a flyover from southbound SR 896 to northbound I-95. These two flyovers remove the existing SR 896 weave condition by reconfiguring existing ramps. The northbound SR 896 to northbound I-95 ramp is spaced out from the existing ramp merge onto I-95 so that traffic is fully integrated prior to traffic merging onto northbound I-95.

The southbound I-95 to SR 896 exit ramp is consistent with a major diverge to account for the projected traffic volumes exiting southbound I-95 at SR 896. It is a full speed two-lane ramp that quickly opens to add a third lane to separate traffic heading into Newark and traffic heading to Middletown. The northbound I-95 to SR 896 ramp is realigned to minimize right-of-way and environmental impacts. Kleinfelder developed a three-dimensional model that included proposed utilities, pavement design, and drainage networks to detect and help avoid conflicts during the construction phase.

Comprehensive Services

Across the phases of the interchange redesign project, Kleinfelder provided:

• Survey Services
• Alternative Design and Analysis
• Ramp Geometrics
• 3D Modeling
• Maintenance-of-Traffic and Construction Phasing
• Bridge Design and Rehabilitation
• Stormwater Management
• Public Outreach
• Constructability Reviews
• Utility Coordination and Relocations

Project Results

Kleinfelder’s interchange design will help to bring increased safety and enhanced capacity to one of the U.S.’s busiest corridors. Construction began in Spring 2023 using an A+B contract method to expedite the construction phase of the interchange. Construction is expected to be complete by summer 2025.

Project Details

Location:
New Castle County, DE
Owner:
Delaware Department of Transportation