State of Delaware - Search and Services/Information

September 6, 2011 Workshop

• View the September 6, 2011 Display Boards
• View the Workshop PowerPoint Presentation
• View the Workshop Flyer
• View the Comment Form (The deadline to submit comments has passed)

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 PUBLIC WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) conducted a public workshop for the US 301 Project Development initiative on September 6, 2011 at the Middletown Volunteer Fire Company in Middletown, Delaware. The purpose of the public workshop was to update the public on the overall project activities since the March 2009 workshop, present materials for review, and provide citizens an opportunity to comment upon the current design refinements proposed for the new US 301.

The workshop provided large table-top 100-scale roll maps showing the current design for each Design Section. See map of Design Sections below. In addition, detailed design plans were available: final or semi-final plans for sections of the US 301 Mainline and preliminary plans for the US 301 Spur Road.

Section 1: US 301, East of Norfolk Southern Railroad to SR 1, South of the C & D Canal

Section 1 of new US 301 will be a tolled controlled access highway with two lanes in each direction and an interchange at Jamison Corner Road. Learn more about Section 1.

Section 2: US 301, Levels Road Extended to east of Norfolk Southern Railroad

Section 2 of new US 301 will be a tolled controlled access highway with two lanes in each direction and an interchange with Summit Bridge Road, north of Armstrong Corner Road. Additionally, Section 2 includes improvements to the Summit Bridge Road/Armstrong Corner Road Intersection to accommodate the interchange with new US 301. Finally, new US 301 will connect with the Spur Road through north-serving ramps to and from the Spur Road. Learn more about Section 2.

Section 3: US 301, South of the Maryland/Delaware Line to Levels Road Extended

Section 3 of new US 301 will be a tolled controlled access highway with two lanes in each direction and an interchange at Levels Road/Warwick Road. Learn more about Section 3.

Section 4A: SR 896/Bethel Church Road Interchange

Section 4A will improve the sharp curve and remove the traffic signal on SR 896 south of Summit Bridge and provide a direct connection between SR 896 and Bethel Church Road. Learn more about Section 4A.

Section 4B & 4C: Spur Road, US 301 to SR 896/Bethel Church Road Interchange

Sections 4B and 4C of US 301 Spur Road will be a tolled controlled access highway with one lane in each direction and north serving ramps to and from US 301 and SR 896. Learn more about Section 4B & 4C.

US 301 Design Sections

In addition to numerous display boards, PowerPoint presentations were provided as an orientation to the workshop and an explanation of what was being presented and where that information could be located in the display hall. Each workshop attendee was provided a project update summary, room layout of the display boards, and a comment form. Included along with the display boards were 100-scale roll plans for each Design Section. Members of the US 301 Project Team were on hand to provide answers and guide citizens through the information presented.

Almost 200 people attended the workshop. Comments were provided at the workshop and through the end of the comment period, which ended on September 12, 2011. The public had the opportunity to comment by submitting written comments at the workshop or by fax, email, mail or online using the US 301 website, us301.deldot.gov. Approximately 20 comments were received.

Public notice of the workshop was printed in advance in the Middletown Transcript and the Delaware News Journal, and an FYI Flyer was mailed to all residents and businesses in the 19709 zip code as well as to those individuals on the project mailing list who live outside of the 19709 zip code. Workshop flyers were also mailed to the towns of Galena, Maryland and Cecilton, Maryland. Workshop materials, including the public notice, FYI, display boards, PowerPoint presentation and comment form were placed on the project website, us301.deldot.gov, approximately four weeks in advance of the workshop. Additionally, in an effort to notify the public about the workshop, the Project Team utilized RoBo Calls to 10,546 residences and businesses in the 19709 zip code. The RoBo calls were places on the afternoon of Friday, September 2, in advance of the rescheduled workshop on September 6. The RoBo calls announced the dale, time and location of the workshop, times of the presentations, and referred recipients to the project website to view all of the workshop information.

In the weeks leading up to the public workshop, members of the US 301 Project Team reached out to a number of communities affected by the US 301 Project an offered the opportunity for a pre-workshop meeting. Communities responding to the offer, who met with Team Members to review the upcoming workshop materials, express concerns, and join in question-and-answer sessions, included:

• Springmill Community August 19, 2011
• Summit Bridge Farms Community- August 22, 2011
• Spring Arbor Community - August 23, 2011
• Airmont/Mount Hope Community August 24, 2011

Combined, approximately 180 people attended these meetings, including state and local elected officials. Comments/questions were expressed verbally, and responses were provided by the Team members. Written summaries of the meetings, comments and responses were posted on the project website on the same day as the public workshop.

PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC WORKSHOP

The purpose of the public workshop was to update the public on the overall project activities since the March 2009 workshop, present materials for review, and provide to citizens an opportunity to comment upon the current design refinements proposed for the new US 301. The workshop provided large table-top 100-scale roll plans showing the current design for each of the Design Sections. In addition, detailed design plans were available: final or semi-final plans for sections of the US 301 Mainline and preliminary plans for the US 301 Spur Road. Each of the Design Refinements was included either on the table-top figures or on a separate display board for review. Among the design updates and additional design refinements proposed since the March 23, 2009 workshop were:

• The need to close Hyetts Corner Road during construction
• Consolidation of the US 31/Port Penn Road/Toll-Free Ramp Intersection
• Improvements to Summit Bridge Road and Armstrong Corner Road to
• accommodate the new US 301/existing US 301 Interchange
• Churebtown Road Overpass of the Spur Road/Tidewater Utilities
• Access/Maintenance of Traffic during construction
• Emergency Access Needs and proposed ramps and crossovers

Other topics presented for review were updates on mitigation, cultural resources archeology, the real estate acquisition process, funding concepts, traffic trends and toll considerations. In addition to the displays, the Project Team provided a presentation five times during the workshop that also addressed next steps in the project, such as corridor preservation, the funding process, and estimates of the possible construction schedule.

A review of the comments received at the workshop and through the end of the comment period identified the following concerns:

• The most often voiced concern related to access impacts to individual properties, including many along Summit Bridge Road in the vicinity of Armstrong Corner Road
• Several comments involved toll concerns: potential rates and the possibility of local-only toll exceptions
• Several comments were related to concerns on continued funding availability
• Citizens of Airmont expressed concerns about the height/length/effectiveness of the visual berm proposed for their community and increased cut-through traffic during the closure of Hyetts Corner Road, along with minimizing the length of time that Hyetts corner Road would be closed.
• Individual comments provided thoughts on: minimizing the length of time that Hyetts corner Road would be closed; and the proximity of the SR 896/Bethel Church Road Interchange to the Lea Eare Farms and Summit Bridge Farms communities.

The Project Team will consider these comments in the development of the project design. Follow up meetings will be held with communities and individuals, as appropriate, to address the issues.