State Route 896 South - Glasgow to Boyds Corner

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Delaware State Route 896 South
U.S. 301 formerly began along SR 896 south from U.S. 40 on the Glasgow bypass. This changed in 2019 with U.S. 301 shifting to a toll road from Middletown northeast to SR 1 near South St. Georges. 12/29/24
The four lane expressway includes an area of wide pavement ahead of SR 896 Business. Looking at the stretch on aerial photographs, it appears that two sections of pavement were misaligned during construction, resulting in a 12 foot difference in alignment (one slab width).1 12/29/24
Glasgow Avenue (SR 896 Business) heads south from U.S. 40 and Peoples Plaza shopping center to Hodgson High School, the Marabou Meadows subdivision and SR 896 at Porter Road. 12/29/24
Porter Road extends east from SR 896 and SR 896 Business to suburban areas east to SR 72 (Wrangle Hill Road) and north back to U.S. 40 in Bear. A parclo interchange was once proposed for this location. 12/29/24
SR 896 expands south from Porter Road to include a wide grassy median to the Summit Bridge. Expansion here took place between 1990 and 1992.
The confirming marker for SR 896 south was removed after 2012 during a project to add an extended acceleration lane from Glasgow Avenue south. 04/04/04
SR 896 (Summit Bridge Road) south at Madelyn Drive and the Colony at Summit Bridge West development. Until the late 1990s all traffic signals south of Porter Road operated in flash mode, but increases in traffic both along SR 896 and at Middletown changed that. 12/26/16
2016-17 construction realigned Howell School Road west to intersect SR 896 directly across from Denny Road east. The two previously converged with Summit Bridge Road at back to back intersections. 12/29/24
SR 896 runs along the west side of Lums Pond State Park as Summit Bridge Road progresses south nine miles to Middletown. A reassurance marker posted south of Denny Road was removed by 2022. 12/29/24
Forthcoming SR 71 (Red Lion Road) circles eastward from SR 896 (Summit Bridge Road) around Lums Pond to the community of Kirkwood. The state route once carried U.S. 301 South between U.S. 13 at Tybouts Corner and the Summit Bridge. 12/29/24
SR 71 combines with SR 896 south for 4.10 miles to Mount Pleasant. The state route north connects Summit Bridge Road with Chesapeake City Road west to the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery. 12/29/24
Brennan Boulevard winds east through the Brennan Estates community to intersect SR 71/896 at Red Lion Road. SR 71 north follows Red Lion Road 7.85 miles to conclude at U.S. 13 (Dupont Highway) near Bear. 12/29/24
Delaware State Route 71 Delaware State Route 896 South
A lone SR 71 shield stood just south of the SR 896 intersection with Red Lion Road and Brennan Boulevard. The assembly was removed during reconstruction of the Summit Bridge approach in 2008. A concrete barrier was added between the two roadways during that work. 04/04/04
SR 71/896 travel along a two mile stretch of limited access highway along the Summit Bridge approaches and span. 12/26/16
Chesapeake City Road (Rd 399) passes over the expressway as it leads west from SR 71 to MD 285 and North Chesapeake City. 12/28/20
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the Summit Bridge. The span opened to traffic on January 9, 1960 to replace a lift bridge linking SR 71/896 with the community of Summit Bridge to the east. 12/28/20
The four lane continuous steel thru truss bridge across the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was repainted from gray to blue in 2012. 12/28/20
The Summit Bridge received the American Institute of Steel Construction award as the most beautiful bridge in 1960. 12/28/20
Measuring 2,058 feet in length, the Summit Bridge crests 138 feet above the C & D Canal.2 12/28/20
SR 71/896 lowers from the Summit Bridge and makes an abrupt turn at the intersection with SR 15 (Bethel Church Road). Truckers are advised of the forthcoming curve as the state route pair shift east toward Summit Airport (EVY). 12/28/20
SR 15 commences a 57 mile long route southward from Summit Bridge through a mixture of farm land and suburban areas to the west side of Middletown. 12/28/20
Bethel Church Road leads SR 15 west 0.84 miles to a roundabout with SR 286 and Choptank Road south. SR 286 forms a multi state route with MD 286 west to Chesapeake City, Maryland. 12/28/20
Prior to 1993, SR 15 ended at U.S. 301/SR 299 south of Middletown. The extension to Summit Bridge overlaid previously unnumbered routes on a parallel alignment west of SR 71/896. The state route makes a number of turns along its southward course to Clayton, Dover and Milford. 12/28/20
Until January 2, 2003, the traffic signals along SR 71/896 (Summit Bridge Road) at SR 15 (Bethel Church Road) were set to flash yellow.3 The proposed alignment of Section 4 (Spur Road) for the U.S. 301 Toll Road project involves replacing the at-grade intersection with Bethel Church Road with back to back wye interchanges for both the Spur Road south to Middletown and SR 15. 12/26/16
Confirming markers for SR 71/896 south posted after SR 15 and before Summit Bridge Drive and the Summit Bridge Farms subdivision. 12/28/20
Summit Bridge Road curves back to the south alongside Summit Airport (EVY). SR 71 south reaches Middletown in six miles. U.S. 301 heads southwest 60 miles to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (U.S. 50). 12/28/20
Old Summit Bridge Road (Rd 63) connects SR 71/896 with the settlement of Summit Bridge and several subdivisions on both sides of Bethel Church and Lorewood Grove Roads. This was the alignment of SR 71 prior to 1960. 12/28/20
Reassurance shields posted south of Old Summit Bridge Road. Summit Bridge Road advances another 1.4 miles to Mount Pleasant. 12/26/16
A traffic light operates at the south end of Summit Airport (EVY) and Victoria Drive east to the Summit Pond subdivision. 12/28/20
The first in a series of guide signs for the pending split of SR 896 (Boyds Corner Road) south from SR 71 (Summit Bridge Road) at Mount Pleasant.
Until 1993, Boyds Corner Road represented the U.S. 301 mainline between Summit Bridge Road and U.S. 13 (Dupont Parkway). 12/28/20
SR 71 remains south along Summit Bridge Road another 4.10 miles from Mount Pleasant to N Broad Street at Middletown Warwick Road (old U.S. 301) in Middletown. 12/28/20
Strip malls, gas stations and other businesses built alongside Summit Bridge Road at Mount Pleasant resulted in the addition of a traffic light in 2008. 12/28/20
SR 71 (Summit Bridge Road) part ways with SR 896 (Boyds Corner Road) south. SR 896 continues another 3.52 miles east to U.S. 13 (Dupont Parkway). 12/28/20
Churchtown Road (Rd 432) stems 3.82 miles west from SR 71/896 by a number of large lot housing developments to the state line. MD 310 (Cayots Corner Road) extends the road west to St. Augustine and MD 213 at Cayots. 12/26/16
SR 896 (Boyds Corner Road) constitutes a growing suburban route east through the Bayberry community. SR 896 concludes in 3.52 miles at U.S. 13, just west of the exchange joining Pole Bridge Road (Rd 420) with SR 1 (Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway). 12/28/20
Delaware State Route 896 South
Advancing east from SR 71 (Summit Bridge Road) at Mt. Pleasant, SR 896 crosses a Norfolk Southern Railroad line at-grade ahead of this confirming marker. 12/16/17
The U.S. 301 toll road spans SR 896 midway between SR 71 and Jamison Corner Road. There is no direct access between the two roads. 12/16/17
Cedar Lane Road ties into SR 896 north by several schools across from Jamison Corner Road. Construction in 2018 consolidated the back to back intersections with a realignment of Jamison Corner Road. Jamison Corner Road leads 1.5 miles north to a dumbbell interchange with U.S. 301. 12/16/17
SR 896 (Boyds Corner Road) approaches U.S. 13 (Dupont Parkway) and Pole Bridge Road east to SR 1 by the Grande View Farms subdivision. 01/15/17
Increases in commuter traffic led to expansion of SR 896 to four lanes ahead of U.S. 13 at Boyds Corner. 01/15/17
An end shield precedes the SR 896 intersection with U.S. 13 (Dupont Parkway). Suburban development spreads in all directions from the junction. 01/15/17
U.S. 13 and SR 1 intertwine southward to Odessa and Smyrna. Dupont Parkway leads U.S. 13 north to St. Georges while SR 1 shifts to the west to cross the C & D Canal on the William Roth Bridge toward Bear and Christiana. 01/15/17
Pole Bridge Road is unnumbered as it links SR 896 and U.S. 13 (Dupont Parkway) with adjacent SR 1. 01/15/17
Pole Bridge Road - East
Pole Bridge Road (Road 420) extends 0.10 miles east from the end of SR 896 to a diamond interchange (Exit 142) with SR 1 (Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway). 08/17/21
Pole Bridge Road (Road 420) continues 2.33 miles east from the toll road to Port Penn Road (Road 2), which leads toward Port Penn and SR 9 along the Delaware River. 08/17/21


 
Sources:
  1. Kotchi, Al. Email: "AARoads feedback: U.S. 301 Delaware," January 9, 2008.
  2. Summit Bridge, Summit, DE. Johan A. Weeks, III.
  3. "New Traffic Signal To Be Activated South of Summit Bridge at Route 896 & Bethel Church Road." Delaware Department of Transportation, press release. December 24, 2002.


Photo Credits:

04/04/04, 12/26/16, 01/15/17, 12/16/17, 12/28/20, 08/17/21, 12/29/24 by AARoads

Connect with:
U.S. 13
U.S. 301
State Route 15
State Route 71

Page Updated 01-07-2025.

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