Trail Completion

LEWES, Del. - The Delaware Department of Transportation says they are preparing to construct a 6.5 mile extension to the Lewes-Georgetown Trail that runs between Airport Road and Fisher Road.

According to an official, the new stretch is in the engineering design phase, which planned to be complete by this fall, with construction beginning in Fall 2024.

That is if the department's funding plans for the project proceed smoothly, says the official. The department has applied for a RAISE Grant from the Federal Highway Administration, which would allow them to complete the extension with one large $21 million project. If they are not able to secure the RAISE funding, the official says that the extension will be split up in to several smaller phases with funding from various different sources. 

If the department does receive the RAISE funding, the official says the project would likely be complete by 2026. If they do not receive the grant funding, they say that they would figure out the schedule at that time.

Though $21 million is the current estimated cost of the project, the official says this could easily change with variability in construction costs and inflation.

The new extension does come with some challenges, says the official, like wetlands along the corridor that will require the construction of an elevated boardwalk. The department stresses that the project does not include a bridge across Route 9 at Cool Spring Road or a bridge at the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal in Lewes. 

They say the trail will be designed as a 'Rail with Trail' west of Route 5 in Harbeson, where the trail will be constructed next to the railroad instead of removing it altogether. They say this is due to a still-active freight rail market between Harbeson and Georgetown.

The new extension would have a connection to the Sports at the Beach facility, and the department says Sussex County is proposing a new park at Cool Spring Road and Route 9.