Delaware Route 404

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DE Route 404

Length:

35.18 mi^[1] (56.62 km)

West end:

MD 404 near Adams Crossroads

Major
junctions:

DE 36 in Scotts Corner

US 13 in Bridgeville

DE 18 near Bridgeville

US 113 in Georgetown

US 9 in Georgetown

DE 30 in Gravel Hill

DE 5 in Harbeson

East end:

DE 1/US 9 in Five Points

Routes in Delaware
< US 301		DE 491 >

Delaware Route 404 is a major state highway in Sussex County, Delaware that spans the width of the state. DE 404's eastern terminus is in Five Points near Lewes, and in the west it enters Maryland as Maryland Route 404. DE 404 is therefore part of a single, continuous "Route 404" that crosses the Delmarva Peninsula. The route provides a major connection between central Delaware and Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Bridge, with signs along the route guiding motorists towards the bridge. Although DE 404 provides a major connection to the Bay Bridge and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, as well as a connection from the metropolitan area to Delaware's beaches, it, and its Maryland counterpart are mostly undivided and have been prone to accidents and congestion. While Maryland has been actively working towards improving MD 404, Delaware is reluctant to upgrade DE 404, instead urging motorists to use Delaware Route 16 as an alternate to reach the beaches.

For most of its length, Delaware Route 404 overlaps with another route. It is cosigned with U.S. Route 13 through Bridgeville. It also shares longer concurrencies with two other highways along its route: Delaware Route 18 between Bridgeville and Georgetown, and U.S. Route 9 between Georgetown and Five Points.

[edit] Route description

Delaware Route 404 heads southeast from the Maryland border on the two-lane, undivided Seashore Highway, passing through farmland. In Scotts Corner, it intersects the western terminus of Delaware Route 36, which heads northeast on Scotts Corner Road to provide access to DE 16. It then heads toward Bridgeville, where DE 404 makes a left turn onot Newton Road to bypass Bridgeville and Delaware Route 404 Business heads to the southeast, passing through Bridgeville.

DE 404 follows Newton Road east to U.S. Route 13. It then heads south on US 13 running to the east of Bridgeville. Just south of Bridgeville, DE 404 meets up again with DE 404 Business as well as the southern terminus of U.S. Route 13 Business through Bridgeville. It then heads to the southeast on the Seashore Highway and Delaware Route 18 merges onoto DE 404.

The two routes head to the east, passing through farmland and tracts of the Ellendale/Redden State Forest. The routes reach the Sussex County seat of Georgetown, where they cross U.S. Route 113. They then head to the southeast on Bedford Street toward the center of Georgetown. At The Circle in the center of Georgetown, DE 18 ends, and DE 404 heads east along with U.S. Route 9 on Market Street.

The two routes head east out of Georgetown and become the Lewes Georgetown Highway. Just east of Georgetown, the route intersects the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 9 Truck, a truck bypass to the south of Georgetown for US 9. It then heads east to Gravel Hill, where it intersects Delaware Route 30. It then intersects Delaware Route 5 in Harbeson. Past that intersection, the route starts to enter more developed areas as it approaches the Five Points intersection. Upon reaching Five Points, it intersects Delaware Route 1D and Delaware Route 23, two routes that head toward the south. It then reaches Delaware Route 1, where DE 404 ends, US 9 heads to the south on DE 1, and U.S. Route 9 Business heads east on Savannah Road toward Lewes.

[edit] History

Delaware Route 404's original eastern termiuns was located at Delaware Route 18 southeast of Bridgeville. The highway was expanded to Five Points by way of DE 18 and U.S. Route 9 to provide a one-number route to the Delaware beaches from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

In the late 1990's, a bypass route of Bridgeville to the north known as Delaware Route 404 Alternate was created. However, this highway would only last for a short time, as it was replaced by Delaware Route 404 itself. The route of Delaware Route 404 through Bridgeville then became Delaware Route 404 Business.