State Route 261
SR 261 (Foulk Road) branches northeast from U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) and SR 141 (Route 141 Spur) at Blue Ball. The route runs through Fairfax and the Brandywine Hundred communities to the Pennsylvania state line. PA 261 extends SR 261 north to Booths Corner and U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) near Chelsea. The southern 4.03 miles of Foulk Road constitutes a four lane boulevard. The state route reduces to two lanes beyond SR 92 (Naamans Road) into Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Multi State Route 261 was posted by 1938. The north end of the MSR was historically located at U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike), 3.2 miles beyond the current end at U.S. 322 via Foulk Road, Chester Heights Road and Valleybrook Road. The south end originally tied into U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) at an angled intersection opposite Rockland Road northwest.
The Blue Ball project redesigned Concord Pike into a parkway from Interstate 95 north to SR 261 (Foulk Road), adjacent to Independence Mall at Weldin Road. Construction replaced Rockland Road with Route 141 Spur, a signed extension of SR 141 southeast from Powder Mill Road, to a grade separated intersection with U.S. 202. Route 141 Spur curves northeast below Concord Pike to intersect Weldin Road at Foulk Road, where SR 261 takes over northeast to Fairfax.
During ongoing construction, the extension of Weldin Road provided the connection between a temporary alignment of Concord Pike and SR 261 (Foulk Road). The detour began on July 9, 20041 and ended in 2006 with the completion of the U.S. 202 overpass over SR 141 (Route 141 Spur). Costing $130 million, the Blue Ball roads and parkland project was completed overall on May 30, 2007.
Delaware State Route 261 - 2015 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
- 18,649 - U.S. 202 to Weldin Road
- 15,450 - Weldin Road to Wilson Road
- 18,261 - Shipley Road to Silverside Road
- 13,672 - Harvey Road to SR 92
- 10,304 - SR 92 to Pennsylvania state line
North
Weldin Road connects Independence Mall and Brandywine Plaza office park with SR 261 (Foulk Road) north, SR 141 south and the ramp for U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) south.
12/20/16
The first shield for SR 261 north appears as Foulk Road extends northeast from Weldin Road and Route 141 Spur toward Fairfax.
12/20/16
12/22/20
Bedford Road south from the Deerhurst subdivision and School Lane west from Lombardy Elementary come together at a signalized intersection on SR 261.
12/22/20
Murphy Road (Rd 210) extends 0.70 miles east from Powder Mill Road and U.S. 202 to SR 261 (Foulk Road) at Wilson Road. Wilson Road extends the major collector east 1.74 miles to SR 3 (Marsh Road) at Veale Road.
12/22/20
Reassurance marker posted north of Murphy Road on SR 261 (Foulk Road) at Fairfax.
12/22/20
Shipley Road heads 2.33 miles north from U.S. 13 Business/SR 3 (Philadelphia Pike) outside Wilmington to cross Foulk Road by the Oak Lane Manor neighborhood. Shipley Road continues 2.63 miles north to SR 92 (Naamans Road) at Brandywine Town Center.
12/22/20
Windsor Hills Drive south and J. Harlan Day Drive north meet SR 261 between the Windsor Hills subdivision and Talley Day Park.
12/22/20
Foulk Road north at the entrances to Foulkstone Plaza and Brandywine High School.
12/22/20
The pedestrian signals for Brandywine High School are one of the last sets of vintage truss arms in use across Delaware.
12/22/20
Chatham Drive north from the Chatham subdivision and Pembrey Place south from the Pembry neighborhood come together at the succeeding traffic light on Foulk Road north.
12/22/20
Silverside Road (Rd 212) constitutes a minor arterial across the Brandywine Hundred community from U.S. 202 at Talleyville 4.54 miles east to U.S. 13 Business (Philadelphia Pike) near Holly Oak.
12/22/20
Grubb Road (Rd 209) extends Harvey Road northwest from SR 3 near the Ardens 2.24 miles to SR 92 (Naamans Road).
12/22/20
SR 261 (Foulk Road) advances north from Grubb Road along the Brandywood community.
12/22/20
Passing between the Naamans Manor and Wynnwood subdivisions, SR 261 (Foulk Road) approaches F & N Shopping Village and SR 92 (Naamans Road).
12/22/20
Heading 3.32 miles to U.S. 13 Business (Philadelphia Pike) at Claymont, SR 92 (Naamans Road) arcs across the north side of the Brandywine Hundred community.
12/22/20
SR 92 continues 3.07 miles west from SR 261 (Foulk Road) to U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) by Brandywine Town Center and 6.25 miles to SR 100 (Montchanin Road) at Brandywine Creek State Park.
12/22/20
The last shield for SR 261 north stands at the bridge across the Naaman Creek South Branch by Valleyview Shopping Center.
12/20/16
SR 261 transitions to PA 261 as Foulk Road crosses the state line into Bethel Township.
12/20/16
South
This Welcome to Delaware sign appears along SR 261 (Foulk Road) southbound just after the Pennsylvania state line.
12/20/16
The first shield for SR 261 follows as Foulk Road advances south with two lanes and a concrete roadway through northern reaches of the Brandywine Hundred community.
12/20/16
SR 261 (Foulk Road) and SR 92 (Naamans Road) cross paths 0.59 miles south of the state border. SR 92 arcs 8.83 miles west from U.S. 13 (Philadelphia Pike) in Claymont to SR 100 at Brandywine Creek State Park.
12/20/16
Long since replaced, this older shield assembly for SR 92/261 was posted at the bridge across the South Branch of Naamans Creek. Narrow width shields for three digit routes are no longer used in the state.
06/13/00
Naamans Road constitutes a four to six lane arterial west to Brandywine Town Center and U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) and east to I-95/495 at Claymont.
12/20/16
Foulk Road widens to four lanes south from SR 92 (Naamans Road) by the Wynnwood and Brandywood subdivisions. Missing here is a confirming marker for SR 261.
12/20/16
Grubb Road branches southeast from SR 92 (Naamans Road) to intersect SR 261 (Foulk Road) at the subsequent traffic light. East from Foulk Road, Grubb Road continues to SR 3 (Marsh Road), where it becomes Harvey Road through the Ardens.
12/20/16
SR 261 (Foulk Road) advances south from Grubb Road to the Foulk Woods and Graylyn Crest North subdivisions ahead of Silverside Road.
08/25/21
12/20/16
SR 261 southbound at Silverside Road. Similar to Grubb Road, Silverside Road provides a through route east to SR 3 (Marsh Road) and U.S. 13 Business (Philadelphia Pike).
08/25/21
A short distance further south on SR 261 is the signalized entrance to the Pembrey and Chatham subdivisions.
12/20/16
Pedestrian signals operate on Foulk Road at Brandywine High School. These vintage truss arm assemblies were more commonly found in Delaware through the 1970s and 1980s.
12/20/16
Span wire signals follow at the Brandywine High School access road to the east and the Foulkstone Plaza office park to the west.
12/20/16
SR 261 (Foulk Road) meets J. Harlan Day Drive and Windsor Hills Drive at the succeeding stoplight. Talley Day Park lines the east side of the four lane boulevard.
12/20/16
Shipley Road meanders north from the outskirts of Wilmington to meet SR 261 (Foulk Road) en route to SR 92 (Naamans Road) at Brandywine Town Center.
12/20/16
Wilson Road angles west from SR 3 (Marsh Road) and Veale Road to become Murphy Road west from SR 261 to U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) through Fairfax.
12/20/16
SR 261 (Foulk Road) and U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) converge one mile south of Murphy Road.
12/20/16
Bedford Road stems south from Murphy Road through the Deerhurst subdivision to intersect Foulk Road across from School Lane and Lombardy Elementary.
12/20/16
A small guide sign precedes Weldin Road and the grade separated intersection joining Foulk Road with SR 141 south and U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) south.
12/20/16
An end shield stands alongside Lombardy Cemetery ahead of the traffic light with Weldin Road. Weldin Road joins SR 261 with adjacent Alapocas Run State Park and subdivisions east to Shipley Road.
12/20/16
Weldin Road west provides the movement onto U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) north back to Fairfax and Talleyville.
12/20/16
Traffic partitions for SR 141 south to Greenville and a two lane ramp for U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) south to Wilmington.
12/20/16
Taking the ramp for U.S. 202 south from Foulk Road south, motorists join Concord Pike at a signalized intersection above the southbound beginning of SR 141.
12/20/16
U.S. 202 (Concord Pike) continues a short distance south to combine with I-95 through Wilmington. Completed in 2007, the Blue Ball project replaced an at-grade intersection with Foulk and Rockland Road here while adding a series of service roads on both sides of U.S. 202 through new parkland.
12/20/16
scenes
Shipley Road north at SR 261 (Foulk Road).
07/31/13
Silverside Road east at SR 261 (Foulk Road) at Talleys Corner. This shield assembly was taken down by 2012.
03/17/04
Silverside Road west ahead of SR 261 (Foulk Road) by the Chatham neighborhood.
10/12/04
Gas stations occupy three of the four corners of the commercialized intersection at Foulk and Silverside Roads. A repaving project after 2007 claimed both shields for the state route along Silverside Road westbound.
10/12/04
Grubb Road (Road 106) branches southeast from SR 92 (Naamans Road) 0.93 miles to Weatherton Drive en route to SR 261 (Foulk Road).
08/25/21
Grubb Road advances a half mile from the signal at Weatherton Drive to SR 261 (Foulk Road) by the Brandywood neighborhood.
08/25/21
SR 261 heads 1.24 miles north from Grubb Road into Pennsylvania near Zebleys Corner and 3.13 miles south to U.S. 202/SR 141 at Blue Ball.
08/25/21
References:
- "Blue Ball project slows traffic." The News Journal (Wilmington, DE), July 11, 2004.
Photo Credits:
- Alex Nitzman: 06/13/00, 03/17/04, 10/12/04, 07/31/13, 12/20/16, 12/22/20, 08/25/21
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Page Updated Monday October 31, 2022.