Interstate 495 parallels U.S. 13 and the Delaware River east of Downtown Wilmington. The freeway begins at the Interstate 95 & 295 interchange complex near the city of Newport. From there the six-lane highway travels northeast through the Christiana River watershed near the municipal waste landfills into the city limits of Wilmington. Splendid views of the central business district of the Corporate Capital of the World are offered from the six lane Christiana River bridge. South of the bridge is the sprawling Port of Wilmington.
As Interstate 495 continue northward to the Edgemoor Road interchange, portions of the Dupont industrial complex come into view along the waterfront. Additional landfill land can be found to the north of this location along the Delaware River. A late 1990s to 2000 project sees the fill land converted into Fox Point State Park. The park is visible along the northbound lanes of Interstate 495 beyond the paralleling Norfolk-Southern and Amtrak railroad lines. The railroad corridor and U.S. 13 (Governor Printz Boulevard) to the west follow Interstate 495 north to Claymont. At that point, Interstate 495 turns westerly to merge back onto Interstate 95 at the Pennsylvania state line.
| Begin Milepost |
Location |
To: |
AADT Composite |
| 0.00
| Interstate 95/295 Newark/New Castle
| Exit 5 U.S. 202 & Delaware 141 Newport New Castle
| 60,436
|
| 0.12
| Exit 5 U.S. 202 & Delaware 141 Newport New Castle
| Exit 1 U.S. 13 Dupont Hwy. Wilmington
| 54,429
|
| 1.98
| Exit 1 U.S. 13 Dupont Hwy. Wilmington
| Exit 2 Delaware 9A Terminal Ave. Port of Wilmington
| 80,024
|
| 2.97
| Exit 2 Delaware 9A Terminal Ave. Port of Wilmington
| south Wilmington city limits
| 97,298
|
| 3.07
| south Wilmington city limits
| Exit 3 12th Street - Wilmington
| 78,674
|
| 4.45
| Exit 3 12th Street - Wilmington
| north Wilmington city limits
| 73,905
|
| 5.29
| north Wilmington city limits
| Exit 4 U.S. 13 & Delaware 3 Governor Printz Blvd. Edgemoor
| 81,210
|
| 5.97
| Exit 4 U.S. 13 & Delaware 3 Governor Printz Blvd. Edgemoor
| Exit 5 U.S. 13 Phila. Pike Claymont
| 63,071
|
| 10.83
| Exit 5 U.S. 13 Phila. Pike Claymont
| Interstate 95 (11.47)
| 48,859
|
| Source: Traffic Summary 2002 (DelDOT) |
Finished in 1978, Interstate 495 completed a long-needed six-lane by-pass of Interstate 95 around the
city of Wilmington along the Delaware River. Ken
Weaverling posted to misc.transport.road on 10/2/99
Did you know when I-495 in Delaware was originally built
in the late 70s, it was a four lane pike and then before it was opened but
after the concrete was down, a decision was made to make it six lanes?
This decision delayed the opening for a few months.
Between 1979 and 1982, Interstate 95 was then reconstructed through Wilmington. During this project Interstate 95 traffic was diverted to Interstate 495 with the temporary redesignation of the bypass as Interstate 95 itself. Original Interstate 95 was consequently signed as Interstate 895 during the period. Upon the completion of the project Interstate 495 returned and Interstate 95 overtook the temporary Interstate 895.
Incidentally I recall around 1987 when an Interstate 495 shield fell off an overhead sign on the Interstate 95 northbound approach to the split with Interstate 495. For a few months this particular sign bridge displayed two separate Interstate 95s heading Northbound! The Interstate 495 panel was replaced afterwards and stood until 2000 when DelDOT replaced the last three sets of Interstate 95 & 495 overheads on northbound.
Originally there were only four interchanges along Interstate 495. A fifth interchange was added later at Edgemoor to serve an extension of Delaware 3 (Edgemoor Road) and U.S. 13 (Governor Printz Boulevard). Planned as early as 1985, the new Exit 4A/B partial cloverleaf interchange opened to motorists in 1989. The U.S. 13 (Philadelphia Pike) interchange at Claymont was renumbered to Exit 5 in the process.
The city of Wilmington otherwise is served by Exits 1 (U.S. 13), 2 (Delaware 9A), and 3 (12th Street). The U.S. 13 (Dupont Highway) interchange saw expansion in 2000 to incorporate new ramps from Interstate 495 south to U.S. 13 north and U.S. 13 south to Interstate 495 north. The Exit 2 partial cloverleaf with Terminal Avenue serves the South Bridge section of the city and the Port of Wilmington. North of the Christiana River is the 12th Street diamond interchange, the only exit completely within the Wilmington city limits. Exit 3 links the freeway with the 12th Street Extension. 12th Street comprises a two to four lane surface street through eastern sections of Wilmington from Northeast Boulevard (U.S. 13) to Hay Road. The extension however was not always envisioned as such. During the 1970s planners thought that instead of surface street connection to Interstate 495, that the 12th Street Extension would feature a freeway spur into downtown Wilmington. Community opposition or funding issues curtailed the limited access idea and the existing 12th Street was built as a compromise instead.
Between the years of 1991 and 1994, Interstate 495 underwent a major resurfacing project. The roadwork entailed the replacement of the original concrete surface with new concrete. Unfortunately faulty concrete mixtures used for both Interstate 495 and Delaware 141 in the late 1970s caused premature cracking in both freeways. Thus instead of a 30-year life span for the road surfaces, Interstate 495 and Delaware 141 needed repair jobs as early as the late 1980s. To make matters worse, the Interstate 495 resurfacing job was often delayed and finished a year behind schedule.
In 1996 legislation was signed to increase Delaware's maximum speed limit from 55 to 65 MPH. A stipulation that "Strictly Enforced" signs be included with new speed limit signs was included in the bill. This higher speed limit was eligible on sections of the SR 1 Turnpike around Dover and Smyrna and all of Interstate 495. The speed limits remain at 65 MPH through 2004. However Variable Speed Limit signs are now in place along the 11-mile freeway.
Interstate 495 Delaware Highway Guides
Interstate 495 Offsite Links
Page Updated May 23, 2004
