GEORGETOWN, DE -- Some business are paying a hefty price for upcoming highway improvements in Sussex County.
Several business have either closed or solidified plans to relocate ahead of the Delaware Department of Transportation's (DelDOT) U.S. 113, SR 18/404 Improvement Project.
According to DelDOT's C.R. McLeod, the department has already acquired over 20 properties and still has 28 to go. As a result, the Hardee's at U.S. 113 and Del. 18/Del. 404 and the Arby's further down U.S. 113 in Georgetown have both closed.
Linda Price, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, emphasizes that the repercussions extend beyond the immediate closures of these popular eateries.
"You're going to have that impact for those people that are on lunch hours that work in the courthouse or whatever, that can't go in there or somebody driving by, so that's a big impact," Price says.
Additionally, the transformation includes the relocation of Royal Farms further down U.S. 113. Boulevard Ford Dealership plans to move its inventory to Millsboro, and even the Delaware Tech Baseball Field will uproot and find a new home.
"Of anything, if you're going to close, we'd rather you stay in town," Price adds. "If you can find a different location, that's the optimum way to go. But you know, having Boulevard leave, that's a big hit for us, because they were such a great partner in the town."
The U.S. 113 and SR 18/404 intersection, highlighted by DelDOT, has one of the highest numbers of annual reported crashes in the area. The proposed project aims to alleviate this issue and reduce traffic congestion.
Georgetown Town Manager Gene Dvornick acknowledges the challenges posed by change but expresses optimism about the long-term benefits for the town.
"It's sometimes difficult for people who, for a long time, know one specific way, but I think over time we'll get used to it, and in the long run, it will be good for the town of Georgetown," says Dvornick.
As the community faces temporary disruptions, there is a shared hope that the inconveniences will eventually give way to the promised long-term gains of a safer and more efficient U.S. 113.