Delaware DOT opens state’s first diverging diamond interchange

Updated Dec 12, 2016
A rendering of Delaware’s first diverging diamond interchange at SR 1 and Route 72.A rendering of Delaware’s first diverging diamond interchange at SR 1 and Route 72.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has opened the state’s first diverging diamond interchange (DDI) at SR 1 and Route 72 after construction began in May.

DDIs eliminate left turns that have to clear opposing traffic, a design that is useful in high-traffic areas. They can cut down on congestion, improve safety, and move traffic along faster than traditional interchanges. The Missouri Department of Transportation installed the first DDI in the country in Springfield in 2009.

“The diverging diamond design presents drivers with fewer points of conflict than traditional interchanges creating a safer environment for local and through traffic,” says DelDOT Secretary Jennifer Cohan. “The innovative design also saves taxpayers money by improving traffic flow over the existing bridge without the need to widen or replace the current structure. This project is another example DelDOT’s effort to use innovative and efficient solutions to improve our state’s transportation infrastructure.”

DelDOT received a Federal Highway Administration Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration grant of $1 million to help “accelerate the implementation and adoption of innovation in highway transportation.”

More details about the project, and other SR 1 updates, are available here.