Delaware 41 travels the original Newport Gap Pike between the Pennsylvania state line and Prices Corner. The roots of the highway are found in the early 1800s as a trade route between Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the docks along the Christina River at Newport.1 By 1938 the pike was a part of the state highway system as Delaware 41. From Hockessin southward through Prices Corner, Newport, and New Castle, Delaware 41 was the main route between Lancaster and the port facilities along the Delaware River.
The state highway used to continue further south than it does now along the Newport Gap Pike into Newport and from there to New Castle by way of Basin Road. The 1979 completion of the Newport Freeway (Delaware 141) overtook Delaware 41 as the primary route between Delaware 2 (Kirkwood Highway) and Interstate 95-295-495. So Delaware 41 saw truncation to the Exit 6 interchange of the freeway at Delaware 2 and Delaware 141 was extended southward over Delaware 41 to New Castle.
| Southern Terminus
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Approaching the split of Delaware 41 south from Delaware 2 east on Kirkwood Highway eastbound at Prices Corner. Delaware 41 leaves Delaware 2 for the Newport Freeway southbound on-ramp. The control points of Delaware 141 include Newport for southbound (junction Delaware 4 and Interstate 95 & U.S. 202) and Fairfax for northbound (junction U.S. 202). Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Delaware 41 southbound shield posted at the east exit of the Prices Corner shopping center and Centerville Road undercrossing. The partial-cloverleaf interchange between Delaware 2 & 41 (Kirkwood Highway) and Delaware 141 represents the southern terminus of Delaware 41. The overlap between Newport Gap Pike and the Newport Freeway along Delaware 2 is more for convenience than anything else. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Delaware 2 eastbound at the Delaware 41 & 141 southbound on-ramp. Before Delaware 41 even gets the chance to merge onto the Newport Freeway the route sees an end sign posted where the ramp joins the southbound Delaware 141 collector/distributor roadway. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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Delaware 141 (Newport Freeway) northbound at the Exit 6A ramp departure for
Delaware 2 (Kirkwood Highway) eastbound to Elsmere. Exit 6B leaves the c/d roadway ahead for Delaware 2 west and the northbound beginning of Delaware 41. Unfortunately new signs installed in 2000 omitted the Delaware 2 & 41 shields for the Exit 6B panel. Photo taken 03/23/04. |
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The c/d roadway ends prematurely at the Exit 6B loop ramp to Delaware 2 west & 41 north (Kirkwood Highway). The junction represents the northbound beginning of Delaware 41. Delaware 2 & 41 multiplex for one half mile between the Newport Freeway and Newport Gap Pike. The state highway otherwise provides the main route between northern Delaware and the U.S. 30 corridor outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
| Northern Terminus
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Delaware 41 (Lancaster Pike) crosses the Pennsylvania State line and becomes Pennsylvania 41 (Gap Newport Road) en route to New Garden and Avondale. A large welcome sign greets northbound motorists in addition to an old state line monument. The yellow sign in the background is one of several signs posted along Pennsylvania 41 in a safety effort to increase the spacing between vehicles because of truck traffic. Photo taken 04/23/04. |
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Looking southward from the Pennsylvania state line at the first Delaware 41 reassurance shield. Lancaster Pike descends into Hockessin within the next one half mile. 1.5 miles south of the bedroom community is the Lancaster Pike split from Delaware 41 via Delaware 48. Photo taken 12/19/01. |
| Delaware 41 Northbound |
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Leaving the Delaware 2 multiplex along Kirkwood Highway for Newport Gap Pike northbound on Delaware 41. The state highway descends into a valley created by the Red Clay Creek before ascending into the Appalachian Piedmont. Below is the intersection with Greenbank Road and the Wilmington & Western Railroad station. Photo taken 04/03/04. |
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Milltown Road splits westward from Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike) northbound between Greenbank Road and Delaware 34 (Faulkland Road). The east-west roadway parallels Delaware 2 between Newport Gap Pike and Delaware Park. Milltown Road provides an alternate route to Delaware 7 (Limestone Road) and the Pike Creek Valley from Prices Corner and Elsmere. Photo taken 04/03/04. |
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Delaware 41 undulates between Prices Corner and Hockessin through scenic hills an forests. Pictured here is a northbound reassurance shield posted after Milltown Road. Over the crest of the hill is historic Brandywine Springs State Park. Photo taken 04/03/04. |
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Junction Delaware 34 shield posted on Delaware 41 northbound at Brandywine Springs State Park. Abandoned Lake Washington resides just east of Newport Gap Pike within the park grounds. The manmade lake was part of a early 20th century pavilion and amusement park along the Hyde Run, a tributary of the Red Clay Creek. The area was abandoned in the 1930s and nature has taken its course in reclaiming the land. Photo taken 04/03/04. |
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Delaware 34 constitutes Faulkland Road between Duncan Road and Delaware 100 (Dupont Road). The obscure route travels through a scenic valley and Brandywine Springs State Park to the east. Otherwise the road passes through residential areas between Centerville Road and Dupont Road. Photo taken 04/03/04. |
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Nearing the merge with Delaware 48 west (Lancaster Pike) on Delaware 41 north near Brackenville. Delaware 48 and 41 combine on the approach to Hockessin and the Pennsylvania state line. Delaware 41 shuttles Newport and Interstate 95 traffic northward as Delaware 48 brings traffic onto Newport Gap Pike from Wilmington. Photo taken 04/23/04. |
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Although the movement between Delaware 41 north to Delaware 48 east results in a complete turnaround, its available at the western terminus of Delaware 48. Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike) widens briefly to two lanes to allows cars to overtake slower moving trucks. Delaware 41 represents a busy trucking corridor between here and U.S. 30 at the town of Gap, Pennsylvania. Photo taken 04/23/04. |
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A new mast arm traffic light assembly was installed on Delaware 41 northbound at Brackenville Road between 2001 and 2004. Brackenville Road composes a developing back road between Delaware 7 (Limestone Road) and Delaware 82 (Creek Road). Photo taken 04/22/04. |
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Delaware 41 (Lancaster Pike) emerges into the Hockessin Valley north of Brackenville Road. The state route widens to three overall lanes to allow motorists passing lanes to overtake slow moving trucks. In the background are a pair of intersections with east-west roads between Delaware 7 and 82. Yorklyn Road travels east from Delaware 41 to Delaware 82 (Creek Road) first. The second light exists at Valley Road. Photo taken 04/23/04. |
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The final northbound Delaware 41 reassurance shield resides north of the Valley Road intersection in Hockessin. A truck climbing lane begins ahead on the one half mile drive to the Pennsylvania state line. Photo taken 04/23/04. |
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Traveling Delaware 41 (Lancaster Pike) southbound at the split with Delaware 48 (Lancaster Pike) east. The intersection between the two routes was considered innovative at the times of its completion in the 1920s. Photo taken 04/22/04. |
| Delaware 41 south |
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Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike) veers southward toward Prices Corner and junction Delaware 2 (Kirkwood Highway). Forthcoming are the intersections with McKennans Church Road, Mill Creek Road, Delaware 34 (Faulkland Road), and Milltown Road. These roads compose some of the secondary through routes throughout the Pike Creek Valley. Photo taken 04/22/04. |
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Delaware 2 east & 41 south reassurance shields on Kirkwood Highway between Newport Gap Pike and Albertson Boulevard. The half-mile overlap was a result of the 1979 opening of the Newport Freeway between Delaware 2 and Interstate 95-295-495. Construction of Delaware 141 between Prices Corner and Newport displaced Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike) as the through route. Thus Delaware 41 was truncated from its terminus at New Castle northward to the Exit 6 interchange of Delaware 141 with Delaware 2. Photo taken 03/28/04. |
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The right-hand lane of Delaware 2 east & 41 south becomes exit-only for the Newport Freeway at Prices Corner. The six-lane highway crosses over Centerville Road between Albertson Boulevard and the partial cloverleaf interchange. Photo taken 12/19/01. |
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Pictured here is the same overhead sign assembly as portrayed above but with a new sign affixed to the old panel. The control points of Delaware 141 include Newport for southbound (junction Delaware 4 and Interstate 95 & U.S. 202) and Fairfax for northbound (junction U.S. 202). Photo taken 03/28/04. |
| Scenes pertaining to Delaware 41 |
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McKennans Church Road northbound as it nears junction Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike) near the west end of Delaware 48 (Lancaster Pike). McKennans Church Road travels north-south between Delaware 7 & Milltown Road to Delaware 41 and Loveville Road. Photo taken 04/22/04. |
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Northbound McKennans Church Road at Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike). Brackenville and Hockessin lie northward to the left. Ahead McKennans Church Road becomes Loveville Road. Loveville Road continues one half mile to junction Delaware 48 (Lancaster Pike) and one mile to Old Wilmington Road. Photo taken 04/22/04. |
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Old Delaware 41 though the town of Newport (pop. 1,122) is relegated to the role of frontage roads for the Newport Freeway (Delaware 141). Signed as Newport Gap Pike north and south, the one-way street couplets lie between Marshall and James Streets in Newport to Delaware 62 (Boxwood Road) at Belvedere. Pictured here is Newport Gap Pike southbound at Burnside Boulevard in Belvedere. Photo taken 07/31/04. |
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Four blocks south of the Burnside Boulevard traffic light is the signalized intersection with Highland Avenue. Both sides of Newport Gap Pike front residential areas associated with Newport and Belvedere. Ahead Newport Gap Pike transitions into James Street southbound. Photo taken 07/31/04. |
