Delaware 896 continues the Pennsylvania 896 and unsigned Maryland 896 numbering convention into the First State by way of New London Road and Newark. The state route came into existance by 1944 between the state line and junction Delaware 71 near Summit Bridge. Before that Pennsylvania 896 was signed as Delaware 796 and it is unclear if the state route extended into Delaware at that time.

Between 1944 and 1958 Delaware 896 only traveled between Summit Bridge (Delaware 71) and the Maryland state line north of Newark. In 1959 the state route saw extension southward over Delaware 71 to Middletown and Townsend by way of Summit Bridge Road. Delaware 71 was truncated and only included the alignment of Red Lion Road between Summit Bridge and Tybouts Corner (U.S. 13). The state route overlapped with U.S. 301 along that stretch.

By 1983 Delaware 71 and 896 saw additional changes to their respective alignments. Delaware 896 was shortened so that it ended at Boyds Corner (junction U.S. 13) by way of Boyds Corner Road from Mt. Pleasant (Summit Bridge Road) eastward. Delaware 71 saw a southward extension from Summit Bridge through Mt. Pleasant, Middletown, and Townsend to junction U.S. 13 over the Delaware 896 alignment. The two routes share pavement between Red Lion Road and Boyds Corner Road on Summit Bridge Road itself.

Delaware 896 remains unchanged since the realignment in 1983 and begins at the confluence of U.S. 13, Delaware 1, Boyds Corner Road, and Pole Bridge Road at Boyds Corner itself. From there a 3.5 mile drive along Boyds Corner Road takes the state highway to junction U.S. 301 & Delaware 71 (Summit Bridge Road) at the settlement of Mt. Pleasant. There Delaware 896 joins the tandem on a northward journey across the Summit Bridge over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. A cantilever bridge, the Summit Bridge opened in 1960 between Delaware 15 (Bethel Church Road) and Delaware 71 (Red Lion Road). The two-mile segment is limited access featuring no at-grade intersections and an overpass for Chesapeake City Road.

Delaware 71 leaves Delaware 896 & U.S. 301 (Summit Bridge Road) by way of Red Lion Road northeast. U.S. 301 remains aligned with Delaware 896 for another 3.4 miles to junction U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway) at the village of Glasgow. There the federal highway ends after spanning over 1,000 miles between Sarasota, Florida and the Diamond State. Delaware 896 continues northward along a four-lane expressway to the Exit 1 partial-cloverleaf interchange of Interstate 95 south of Newark. The stretch of Delaware 896 between the Summit Bridge and Interstate 95 opened between 1992 and 1997 as a four-lane expressway. The bypass around Glasgow opened in 1993 and was planned as a full freeway. Opposition to Delaware 896 (U.S. 301 Freeway) upgrading to freeway status curtailed all planning for interchanges at U.S. 40, Old Baltimore Pike, and other locations.

Delaware 896 travels a convuluted path through the city of Newark, sharing overlaps with Delaware 2, 4, 2 Business, and 273 between Christina Parkway and Main Street. Map created by Kelly Krapp (October 2007).

In Newark Delaware 896 travels South College Avenue to junction Delaware 2 & 4 (Chestnut Hill Road). A late 1980s realignment relocated the state route from South College Avenue between Chestnut Hill Road and Delaware Avenue (Delaware 2 Business & 273 eastbound) in an effort to reduce through traffic. South College Avenue bisects the heart of the University of Delaware Campus between the Amtrak Northeastern Corridor and West Main Street (Delaware 2 Business & 273 westbound). Delaware 896 follows Delaware 2 & 4 (Christiana Parkway) west from South College Avenue to Elkton Road (Delaware 2 Business). From there Delaware 2 Business & 896 migrate northeast into downtown Newark to the one-way street couplet of Delaware Avenue (eastbound) and West Main Street (westbound). The north and southbound directions of Delaware 896 partition between Delaware Avenue east, South College Avenue north, West Main Street west, and New London Road north for northbound and Hillside Road west, West Main Street east, Elkton Road west for southbound. The split directions join at the Hillside Road intersection with New London Road. Delaware 896 resumes a northward course along New London Road 2.9 miles to the Maryland state line.

Delaware 896 Mileage Table

Delaware 896 2002 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

• 15,989 - U.S. 13/Dupont Highway - Road 427/Jamison Corner
• 34,194 - Mount Pleasant Road - Delaware 71 (U.S. 301 overlap)
• 27,213 - Delaware 71 to U.S. 40/Pulaski Highway (U.S. 301 overlap)
• 37,083 - Interstate 95 to Chestnut Hill Road (Old Delaware 4)
• 23,565 - Chrysler Plant entrance to Delaware 2 & 2B/Elkton Road
• 39,590 - Christiana Parkway to Newark limits (Business Delaware 2 overlap)
• 20,709 - Barksdale Road to Delaware Avenue (Delaware 273 east)
• 9,413 - Northbound: Delaware Avenue (Delaware 2B/273 east) to Main Street(Delaware 2B/273 west)
• 12,685 - Southbound: Hillside Road to Elkton Road (Delaware 2 Business)
• 17,693 - Cleveland Avenue to Country Club Drive
• 9,302 - Wedgewood Road to Maryland state line

Delaware 896 Terminus Collection

Southern Terminus
	Delaware 896 (Boyds Corner Road) eastbound at junction U.S. 13 (Dupont Highway). An end sign is posted for the Boyds Corner intersection between the two highways. However a new interchange just east of the Dupont Highway with the SR 1 Turnpike is signed as Delaware 896 from Delaware 1 itself. It is unclear if the 1999 opening of the Odessa section of the turnpike included a slight extension of Delaware 896 east of U.S. 13 or not. Photo taken 12/18/01.
	Pole Bridge Road continues eastward from Delaware 896 (Boyds Corner Road) to Port Penn Road and Delaware 9 (Liberty Street) in Port Penn itself. The local roadway was widened between U.S. 13 & Delaware 896 to the Exit 142 diamond interchange with the SR 1 Turnpike. Depicted here is the southbound on-ramp to Delaware 1 to Smyrna and Dover as seen from Pole Bridge Road eastbound. Photo taken 04/04/04.
	The northbound on-ramp of the SR 1 Turnpike departs Pole Bridge Road eastbound. East of here the local road becomes rural in character on the 2.2-mile stretch to Port Penn Road. The addition of Delaware 1 and interchange however adds to the appeal of the area for potential development due to the increased accessibility. Several new homes have already been built near Boyds Corner as a result. Photo taken 04/04/04.

Northern Terminus
		Delaware 896 (New London Road) enters the state of Maryland northwest of the White Clay Creek State Park and Newark. The crossing into Cecil County is generally unsigned and only noted by the pavement change and end of shoulders on the Delaware side of the border. Ahead is the Little Egypt Road intersection. That road loops southward two miles to Maryland 273 (Telegraph Road). Photos taken 12/25/01 & 05/15/05.
	Entering Delaware along unsigned Maryland 896 (New London Road) near the tricorner of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. New London Road widens with the addition of full shoulders from the state line southward into Newark. Photo taken 05/15/05.
Unsigned Maryland 896
		Northbound on unsigned Maryland 896 (New London Road) at the transition into Pennsylvania 896 at the Pennsylvania state line. A Pennsylvania welcome sign and pavement change represent the actual border. New London Road graces the state of Maryland for all of 0.21 miles in extreme northeastern Cecil County. Photos taken 12/25/01 & 05/15/05.
	Pennsylvania 896 (New London Road) southbound at the transition into unsigned Maryland 896. Little Egypt Road links Maryland 896 with Maryland 273 (Telegraph Road) to the southwest. Photo taken 05/15/05.

Delaware 896 Guides

• Delaware 896 Northbound
• Delaware 896 Southbound

Offsite Links

• Delaware Roads - DE 273/Bus. 2/Old 896 (Steve Alpert)
• Delaware Roads - DE 896 (Steve Alpert)
• Delaware Roads - US 301/DE 896 (Steve Alpert)
• Pennsylvania 896 & PAHighways.com
• Pennsylvania 896 @ State-Ends.com

Page Updated October 25, 2007