State Route 896

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SR 896 represents one of the main routes in Newark as it both joins the city with Chester County, Pennsylvania, and the University of Delaware (UD) with Interstate 95 and suburban areas south toward Glasgow. The state route is generally known by its local names through the city, taking New London Road north from West Main Street and Downtown to the northeastern tip of Maryland en route to Strickersville, Pennsylvania.

Through Newark, SR 896 separates with southbound following Cleveland Avenue from New London Road west to an overlap with SR 273 east along W Main Street to S Main Street west. SR 896 northbound combines with SR 273 east along Delaware Avenue to one block of College Avenue north, and then SR 273 westbound along W Main Street to New London Road north.

As part of the bypass of the UD Campus, SR 896 lines South Main Street and Elkton Road southwest from SR 273 (Delaware Avenue) to SR 4 (Christina Parkway). SR 896 overlaps with SR 4 east along Christina Parkway to South College Avenue, which leads the state route south through a commercial strip to I-95. 2023-26 construction upgraded the previous six-ramp parclo interchange with Interstate 95 into a half turbine interchange with two flyover ramps opened in 2025.

SR 896 travels a convoluted path through the city of Newark, sharing overlaps with SR 4 (Christina Parkway) and SR 273 (West Main Street / Delaware Avenue).

South of I-95 by Iron Hill, SR 896 expands into a controlled access arterial to a bypass of Glasgow. The route was expanded from a rural two lane roadway between 1992-97, to both serve increasing commuter traffic south to the U.S. 40 corridor, and truck traffic south to the Summit Bridge across the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Continued suburban growth both north and south of the canal justified expansion of the state route to Mount Pleasant.

Summit Bridge spanning the C&D Canal. January 2000, 06/10/12

Completed in 1959, the Summit Bridge (SR 71 and SR 896) carries four lanes of traffic between the Glasgow and Middletown suburbs. Initially envisioned as just a two-lane crossing, a Delaware politician successfully lobbied to have the bridge built with additional capacity. The steel through truss bridge, and the nearby railroad lift bridge built in 1966, were recognized by the American Institute of Steel Construction as the most beautiful bridges of their types in the years they were completed.¹

SR 896 turns east along Boyds Corner Road between SR 71 (Summit Bridge Road) at Mount Pleasant and U.S. 13 (Dupont Parkway) at Boyds Corner. The formerly rural east-west segment bisects the Bayberry Village community and other newer developments.

Delaware Route 896 Guides

North - Boyds Corner to Glasgow - 40 photos

North - Glasgow to Newark - 54 photos

South - Newark to Glasgow - 54 photos

The south split of SR 71/896 at Mount Pleasant, Delaware

South - Glasgow to Boyds Corner - 41 photos

State Route 896 Business - 7 photos

SR 896 was initially designated as SR 796, reflecting the previous number of PA 896 north to New London and U.S. 1 in Chester County. SR 896 appeared first on the 1938 Official Delaware Highway Map, coinciding with its Pennsylvania counterpart. The state route ran south through Newark along New London Road and College Avenue, briefly overlapping with SR 273 at the west end of Downtown. South from Newark, SR 896 extended to Glasgow and SR 71 just north of the original Summit Bridge built in the 1920s.

The 1957-58 Official Delaware Highway Map shows SR 896 extended south alongside SR 71 from the Summit Bridge to Middletown. The state route traveled through Downtown along Broad Street to Summit Bridge Road south to end at U.S. 13 (Dupont Parkway) near Blackbird. Beyond a shift westward onto the new Summit Bridge in 1960, SR 896 remained unchanged until 1983.

Newark - 1981 Official Delaware Highway Map

SR 896 following a more linear route through Newark along College Avenue.

The southern leg of SR 896 was realigned to head east from Mount Pleasant to U.S. 13 at Boyds Corner by 1983. This left the former route south of Middletown as an unnumbered road until 1990, when SR 71 took it over.

Within the city of Newark, SR 896 was relocated from S College Avenue between SR 4 (Christina Parkway) and SR 2/273 (Delaware Avenue) east. The change was made by 1988, coinciding with the realignment of SR 2 away from Downtown. SR 2/896 formed a bypass alongside SR 4 west to Elkton Road, where SR 896 turned northeast alongside SR 2 Business to the split alignment alongside SR 273 (Delaware Avenue / W Main Street).

The Glasgow bypass opened to traffic in 1993 as the new alignment of both SR 896 and U.S. 301 south from U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway). The expressway, and the associated expansion of SR 896 north and south, were constructed in place of a long planned freeway for U.S. 301 between Middletown and Interstate 95. Interchanges were planned along the SR 896 corridor at U.S. 40, Old Baltimore Pike, and Porter Road, but dropped due to community opposition. However, a parclo interchange at SR 896 and U.S. 40 remains planned, with construction pending funding availability for 2029.

A number of changes were approved for the city of Newark in Fall 2013. Of those, the overlaps of SR 2 with SR 4/896 along Christina Parkway and SR 2 Business alongside SR 896 on Elkton Road / S Main Street were eliminated. SR 896 remained along Elkton Road, and the portion renamed to South Main Street, from SR 4 to the couplet with SR 273.

Delaware State Route 896 - 2015 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

15,947 - U.S. 13 to Jamison Corner Road
29,175 - Churchtown Road to SR 71 (Red Lion Road
33,562 - SR 71 to U.S. 40
48,237 - Old Baltimore Pike to I-95
42,819 - south Newark limits to Chestnut Hill Road
38,462 - South College Avenue to Science Boulevard
16,456 - SR 4 to Apple Road
11,619 - Apple Road to SR 273 (Delaware Avenue) east
23,549 - South Main Street to South College Avenue
3,763 - northbound: SR 273 (West Main Street) to Cleveland Avenue
13,810 - southbound: New London Road to SR 273 (West Main Street)
15,678 - Cleveland Avenue to Country Club Drive
7,407 - Wedgewood Road to Maryland line

scenes

A turnaround along Welsh Tract Road between SR 896 (S College Avenue) and Old Coochs Bridge in south Newark provides a U-turn for truck traffic to access SR 896 southbound.

12/20/25