Delaware 261 dates back to 1951, if not sooner. The state route continues the numbering of Pennsylvania 261 southward into the Diamond State from Booths Corner, Pennsylvania. Known as Foulk Road, Delaware 261 comprises a four-lane arterial between Delaware 141 and Weldin Road at Blue Ball to Delaware 92 (Naamans Road). Pennsylvania 261 continues northward to junction U.S. 322 from the state line.
The original configuration of the south end of Foulk Road saw Delaware 261 intersect U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) at a 45 degree angle from the Rockland Road intersection. The junction was often congested and as the U.S. 202 corridor continued to grow, grid lock became an increasing problem. Therefore DelDOT reconstructed the junction and U.S. 202 between Interstate 95 and Independence Mall as part of the Blue Ball project. Included in the project was the realignment of Rockland Road and Augustine Cutoff and the creation of Route 141 Spur, a new alignment of Delaware 141 tying the state route directly into U.S. 202 at a partial interchange with Delaware 261. Open space and parkland front the roadways both east and west of U.S. 202 as part of the construction.
Between 2004-06, traffic interests from Delaware 261 (Foulk Road) to U.S. 202 were routed along an extension of Weldin Road from Foulk Road to a temporary alignment of Concord Pike. The detour began on on July 9, 20041 and ended with the completion of the Concord Pike overpass over Delaware 141 (Route 141 Spur). Delaware 141's extension along the spur includes the southernmost segment of Delaware 261 along Foulk Road. Thus Delaware 261 was truncated from U.S. 202 to the Foulk Road intersection with Weldin Road. Delaware 141 now travels the short drive between U.S. 202 and Weldin Road. New end shields for both routes are posted at Weldin Road as of December 2006.
See Blue Ball @ AARoads for photos covering the new alignments of U.S. 202, Delaware 141, and Delaware 261.
Delaware 261 Mileage Table
| Southern Terminus |
Northern Terminus |
Names |
Mileage |
| U.S. 202 - Blue Ball |
Pennsylvania state line (Pennsylvania 261) |
Foulk Road |
4.62 |
Delaware 261 2002 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
- 21,239 - U.S. 202/Concord Pike to Weldin Road
- 12,765 - Weldin Road to Wilson Road
- 18,680 - Silverside Road to Harvey Road
- 14,365 - Harvey Road to Delaware 92/Naamans Road
- 9,558 - Delaware 92/Naamans Road to Pennsylvania state line
Delaware 261 Terminus Collection
| Southern Terminus
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| Delaware 261 end shield posted ahead of the intersection with Weldin Road and transition into Delaware 141 south. Photo taken 12/23/06. |
| Interests to U.S. 202 are dispersed between Weldin Road for northbound and Delaware 141 north for southbound. Photo taken 12/23/06. |
| Delaware 261 ends and Delaware 141 begins. Weldin Road west provides the movement onto U.S. 202 north; interests to U.S. 202 south and Interstate 95 should remain on Delaware 141 south to the nearby off-ramp to Concord Pike. Weldin Road east in conjunction with Shipley Road and Baynard Boulevard connects Foulk Road with Delaware 3 (Marsh Road) and north Wilmington. Photo taken 12/23/06. |
| Original Southern Terminus at U.S. 202
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Delaware 261 (Foulk Road) southbound drew to a close at the intersection of U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) and Rockland Road in Blue Ball. Pictured here was the traffic signal that governed the movements between the three roadways. Construction replaced the intersection with a partial interchange in 2006. Photo taken 04/09/04.
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U.S. 202 northbound departs Interstate 95 for the Concord Pike at the Exit 8 interchange. The federal highway merges onto Concord Pike just south of the Augustine Cutoff intersection. Delaware 202 ends here and U.S. 202 quickly expands to six overall lanes between the freeway and Foulk Road (new Delaware 141 / old Delaware 261). Construction replaced the upcoming intersection with a partial interchange and underpass. Photo taken 03/22/04. |
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Delaware 261 northbound as it departed U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) via Foulk Road. The north-south route cuts a diagonal between Concord Pike and Interstate 95 through the Brandywine Hundred suburbs of Wilmington. The state route eventually becomes Pennsylvania 261 near Booths Corner, Pennsylvania. Photo taken 04/21/04. |
| Temporary Southern Terminus (during construction)
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U.S. 202 saw relocation to a temporary six-lane roadway to coincide with construction of two new underpasses along Concord Pike on July 9, 2004.1 Pictured here is a "To North Delaware 261" overhead for the Weldin Road connection between temporary U.S. 202 and Foulk Road (Delaware 261). The sign now resides along U.S. 202 ahead of the Delaware 141 off-ramp to Foulk Road. Photo taken 08/11/04. |
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Approaching the Weldin Road extension on the temporary U.S. 202 northbound. Weldin Road was extended west from Delaware 261 (Foulk Road) as part of the Blue Ball reconstruction project. The roadway links U.S. 202 north with Delaware 261 north, Delaware 141 south, and Weldin Road east to Rockwood Road. Photo taken 08/11/04. |
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U.S. 202 northbound at Weldin Road near Independence Mall. Traffic to Delaware 261 (Foulk Road) is advised to turn right onto Weldin Road for a short drive to a traffic light at Foulk Road. U.S. 202 rejoins its original six-lane alignment just north of Weldin Road. All in all, the $130 million Blue Ball roads-and-parklands project was completed on May 30, 2007. Photo taken 08/11/04. |
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Delaware 261 northbound shield assembly posted on Weldin Road eastbound as it leaves U.S. 202 and approaches Foulk Road. Photo taken 08/11/04. |
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Weldin Road eastbound at Delaware 261 (Foulk Road), now both Delaware 141 and 261. To the right Foulk Road ended prematurely due to construction of the partial interchange with U.S. 202. Eastward Weldin Road continues to Shipley Road north of Wilmington. Photo taken 08/11/04. |
| Northern Terminus
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Entering the state of Delaware from Pennsylvania 261 Southbound in Brandywine Hundred. Notice the pavement change from asphalt to concrete at the state line. The shield assembly pictured here has since been replaced. Photo taken 10/12/01.
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The first northbound Pennsylvania 261 resides just north of the Delaware state line on Foulk Road. One half mile to the north is the community of Booths Corner and junction Pennsylvania 491 (Naamans Creek Road). Photo taken 10/12/01.
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| Pennsylvania 261 Northern Terminus
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Pennsylvania 261 draws to a close 2.1 miles north of the Delaware state line at junction U.S. 322 (Conchester Road) north of Booths Corner. The state highway used to continue northward another 3.2 miles to U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) by way of Foulk Road, Chester Heights Road, and Valleybrook Road. Photo taken 10/12/01.
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Delaware 261 Highway Guide
| Delaware 261 Northbound |
| Delaware 261 (Foulk Road) leaves Delaware 141 and Weldin Road on its northward drive toward Arden and Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Foulk Road meets Murphy and Wilson Roads ahead. Photo taken 12/23/06. |
| Delaware 261 Southbound |
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Delaware 261 (Foulk Road) intersects busy Naamans Road (Delaware 92) 0.6 miles south of the Pennsylvania state line. Delaware 92 arcs between Claymont (junction U.S. 13) and Delaware 100 in northeastern New Castle County. The state route carries four to six lanes between U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) and the eastern terminus. Pictured here is a since replaced older shield assembly for the junction on Foulk Road southbound. Photo taken 06/00. |
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Three quarters of a mile south of Delaware 92 (Naamans Road) is the intersection with Grubb Road. Grubb Road slants southeasterly from Naamans Road to Delaware 3 (Marsh Road). At Marsh Road, Grubb Road becomes Harvey Road and travels through the Ardens to Interstate 95 (Exit 10) and U.S. 13 Business (Philadelphia Pike). Photo taken 03/17/04. |
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Four lanes of concrete constitute Delaware 261 between Delaware 92 and Silverside Road. Foulk Road overall is four lanes with a concrete divider or center turn lane between Delaware 92 and the southern terminus at Blue Ball. Photo taken 04/10/04. |
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Delaware 261 southbound at Silverside Road. Silverside Road like Grubb Road, provides a an east-west route between Delaware 3 & U.S. 13 Business and Foulk Road. Photo taken 04/10/04. |
| Scenes pertaining to Delaware 261 |
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Silverside Road eastbound at junction Delaware 261 (Foulk Road) at Talleys Corner. Silverside Road constitutes a busy east-west road between U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) at Talleyville and Delaware 261. Photo taken 03/17/04. |
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Junction Delaware 261 shield posted on Silverside Road westbound within the Brandywine Hundred community. Delaware 261 shields are posted sparsely along both the mainline and intersecting roadways of Foulk Road. Silverside Road however is allocated three overall shields for the state highway. Photo taken 10/12/04. |
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Westbound Silverside Road at Delaware 261 (Foulk Road). Two miles separate the intersection with U.S. 202 at Talleyville. Northward Delaware 261 travels 0.75 miles to Grubb Road and 1.4 miles to junction Delaware 92 (Naamans Road). Photo taken 10/12/04. |
Sources:
1 - "Blue Ball project slows traffic." The News Journal (DE), July 11, 2004.
Delaware 261 Offsite Links
Page Updated September 7, 2007
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