LEWES, Del. - A family in Sussex County is not too happy. That’s because DelDOT is looking to construct a roundabout, which means the family’s home would need to be torn down in order to move forward with the process.
The family's home would be right in the way of that roundabout in Lewes at the Cave Neck Road Intersection at Sweetbriar Road and Hudson road. DelDOT says a roundabout would alleviate safety concerns but the family is not ready to leave their home.
Eric Jackson lives at the house with his family. He says DelDOT recently offered to buy his home but he's not interested in selling.
“It's only our house out of all the other houses. It does need to get fixed but there is clearly a better way to go about it then doing it at the expense of someone's house,” says Jackson.
DelDOT says there were 65 crashes here from 2017 to 2021 and believes a roundabout would bring that number down. A representative from DelDOT tells WBOC the agency is still working with the family to find a solution.
“This is a burden on that homeowner and we want to make sure that they're compensated fairly and that they're provided the assistance to find a new home and providing all the support that we can,” says C.R. McLeod.
DelDOT says the project is currently in the design and planning phase. They would like to break ground on the roundabout in 2024. However, before any work can begin, the home would have to go.
The homeowner says he does recognize DelDOT’s desire to improve safety along the road but hopes he does not have to lose his home in the process.
