CAMDEN, Del- As traffic on Delaware roads increases, efforts are underway to reduce congestion. With that goal in mind, the East Camden Bypass project began this week according to DelDOT.
A significant component of the project involves extending the future West Camden Bypass from Route 13 to a new roundabout on Route 10. The project also includes plans for additional crosswalks, a shared-use path, and improved lighting.
Camden’s Sandy Hill community lies at the heart of the anticipated changes, with residents bracing for prolonged road work.
“I wish the timeline wasn’t so long,” said local resident John Rigby.
However, some, like Andrea Pierce, express concerns about the project’s impact.
“The circle doesn’t make sense to me. I just worry about traffic backing up because it gets very heavy out there,” Pierce said.
Pierce mentioned her unsuccessful efforts to advocate for additional changes.
“The access road is going to be coming very close to the houses, and when I asked about the possibility of adding trees or a buffer between the houses and the road, I was told no,” she said.
John Rigby also expressed concerns about Caesar Rodney students commuting to school in September.
“I hope they factor that in—that a lot of the students are going to have to take alternative routes to get to the high school, and it is really going to be kind of crazy,” Rigby noted.
The bypass is expected to be completed by August 2025. The first phase of this project focuses on utility transfers, which are expected to continue until September.