Interstate 295 South

Southbound traffic along I-295/U.S. 40 travel across the newer of the twin Delaware Memorial Bridge spans. The second span was dedicated in 1968 with two-way traffic as subsequent work overhauled the original bridge (DRBA, n.d.).

12/27/18

440 high towers support the twin suspension bridges spanning the Delaware River. The eastbound span opened with two-way traffic on August 15, 1951. It mirrors the westbound span in length at 3,650 feet (DRBA, n.d.).

12/27/18

The Delaware Memorial Bridge passes 188 feet above the main channel of the Delaware River (NOAA, 2018, p. 208).

12/27/18

Traffic along I-295 south / U.S. 40 west lower from the Delaware Memorial Bridge into a main line toll plaza north of New Castle, Delaware.

12/27/18

With a steady increase in traffic, discussion for a second bridge across the Delaware River between Deepwater, New Jersey and New Castle, Delaware got underway in 1955. The second span fully opened to southbound traffic on December 29, 1969 (DRBA, n.d.).

12/27/18

Tolls for the Delaware Memorial Bridge are charged along I-295 south / U.S. 40 west. Northbound tolling ceased in 1992 when rates doubled for southbound.

12/27/18

I-295 south / U.S. 40 west cross over the New Castle Secondary line of the Norfolk Southern Railroad just before touching down from Delaware Memorial bridge. A welcome sign precedes the main line toll plaza.

12/27/18

A cloverleaf interchange with SR 9 (New Castle Avenue) for historic New Castle lies just west of the Delaware Memorial Bridge toll plaza.

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A 13 lane toll plaza collects fares south of adjacent Magazine Ditch and the Holloway Terrace neighborhood. Electronic toll collection commenced operations on July 18, 2001 (DRBA, 2016).

12/27/18

A $7.6 million project underway from February to September 2016 installed a new system. The update allows the Delaware Memorial Bridge to support national interoperability with other toll networks (DRBA, 2016).

12/27/18

A collector distributor lane separates from I-295 for SR 9 (New Castle Avenue) to Wilmington and New Castle.

12/27/18

Overall SR 9 travels 58.18 miles from Wilmington to Dover along a mostly coastal route. U.S. 13 parallels to the west along Dupont Highway.

12/27/18

Improvements made at the interchange with SR 9 between 1998 and 2001 redecked the bridge for New Castle Avenue and resurfaced exit ramps with asphalt.

12/27/18

A loop ramp follows onto SR 9 (New Castle Avenue) south to the city of New Castle.

12/20/25

Veterans Memorial Park lies on the south side of I-295 along Cherry Lane. The memorial honors New Jersey and Delaware veterans who died during combat in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.

12/23/18

Operated by the DRBA, New Castle Airport (ILG) lies southwest of I-295 along U.S. 13/40.

12/20/25

Work commenced in February 2016 on the I-295 Southbound Reconstruction Project from Landers Lane to I-95. Costing $33.7 million, construction through April 2019 added a third through lane, relocated the ramp from U.S. 13/40 north to I-295 south and upgraded pavement (Rupp, 2018).

12/20/25

A distance sign references the DRBA operated Cape May-Lewes Ferry (85 miles) and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (205 miles) via U.S. 13 south to SR 1.

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I-295 and U.S. 40 part ways at the Farnhurst interchange. U.S. 13/U.S. 40 combine for 3.56 miles southwest to State Road. Beyond there U.S. 40 turns westward along suburbanized Pulaski Highway to Bear and Glasgow. U.S. 13 continues south to SR 1 at Tybouts Corner, Smyrna, Dover, Salisbury, Maryland and Hampton Roads, Virginia.

12/20/25

I-295/U.S. 40 runs west between the Garfield Park and Swanwyck neighborhoods leading into the directional interchange with U.S. 13 (Dupont Highway).

12/20/25

Interstate 295 partitions with two lanes departing for U.S. 13/40 (Dupont Highway) south at Farnhurst.

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The Delaware Memorial Bridge Approach Road Rehabilitation program commenced in 1999 (Rupp, 2018). Improvements at the exchange with U.S. 13/40 in 2001-03 realigned the ramp for Dupont Parkway south to improve its geometry and eliminated the left side on-ramp to I-295 north.

07/08/10

Traffic splits for U.S. 13 (Dupont Highway) north to Minquadale and U.S. 13/40 south to Hares Corner and Dover. U.S. 13 north into Wilmington doubled as U.S. 202 until 1984. U.S. 301 north also ended here until 1992.

07/08/10

Traffic separates for Dupont Highway at this gore point. Overall U.S. 13 stretches 103.33 miles throughout the height of Delaware, entering Pennsylvania at Claymont. U.S. 40 concludes its 17.18 mile course through the First State ahead of Elkton, Maryland.

07/08/10

Proceeding west along I-295 toward the three wye interchange with I-95 (Delaware Turnpike), I-495 north and SR 141 north.

12/20/25

The I-295 Southbound Reconstruction Project removed two bridges over abandoned railroad lines on this stretch (Rupp, 2018).

12/20/25

Interstate 495 north bypasses Wilmington to the east along an 11.47 mile route to the Port of Wilmington, Edgemoor and the Pennsylvania state line at Claymont.

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I-295 south defaults onto I-95 (JFK Memorial Highway) south. A single lane ramp departs here for I-95/U.S. 202 north through Wilmington while Left Exit 5 follows for SR 141 north.

12/20/25

Distance signs are posted on both ramps for Interstate 95. The northbound entry reads Wilmington (3) and Philadelphia (34).

12/20/25

Traveling along the Newport Viaduct northward, SR 141 constitutes a four lane freeway between Interstate 95 and SR 2 (Kirkwood Highway) at Prices Corner.

12/20/25

The left exit to SR 141 (Newport Freeway) north uses the I-95 numbering convention. Forming an 11.34 mile long arc around Wilmington to U.S. 202 at Blue Ball, SR 141 originates in New Castle at the intersection with SR 9/273.

12/20/25