Delaware Route 23

Delaware Route 23 (DE 23) is a 14.76-mile-long (23.75 km) state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. Its southern terminus is at Massey's Landing in Long Neck, near the confluence of Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay and its northern terminus is at the Five Points intersection in Nassau, where it ends at U.S. Route 9 (US 9), DE 1, and DE 404. From the southern terminus, the route runs west through residential areas of Long Neck before heading north through rural areas with some development. DE 23 is concurrent with DE 5 between the DE 24 intersection in Long Neck and Fairmount. It is also concurrent with DE 24 Alternate (DE 24 Alt.) between Hollymount and the DE 1D intersection in Five Points. The road was designated as part of DE 22 south of Fairmount for a short time in the 1930s, with DE 5 designated along the stretch between DE 24 and Fairmount by 1938; the remainder of the road was unnumbered. The road was fully paved by 1970. The DE 23 designation was assigned by 1994.

Delaware Route 23 marker

Delaware Route 23

Route information
Maintained by DelDOT
Length14.76 mi[1] (23.75 km)
Existed1994[2]–present
Major junctions
South endDead end in Long Neck
Major intersections
North end
Location
CountryUnited States
StateDelaware
CountiesSussex
Highway system
← DE 22→ DE 24

Route description
DE 23 southbound in Long Neck

DE 23 begins at a boat ramp parking lot at Massey's Landing in Long Neck, near the confluence of the Rehoboth Bay and the Indian River Bay. From here, the route heads west on two-lane undivided Long Neck Road through a mix of residential areas and marshland between Rehoboth Bay to the north and Indian River Bay to the south. The road winds west through homes, commercial development, and a few farms, passing south of the Baywood Greens golf course. Farther west, DE 23 comes to an intersection with DE 5/DE 24. At this intersection, the name changes to Indian Mission Road, and DE 23 begins a concurrency with DE 5. The two routes head northwest and cross Guinea Creek, passing through a mix of farmland and woodland with some housing subdivisions, intersecting Harmons Hill Road/Phillips Branch Road.[3][4]

In Fairmount, DE 5 splits to the northwest and DE 23 continues north on Beaver Dam Road. In Hollymount, DE 23 intersects DE 24 Alt. and forms a concurrency with that route. The road comes to a roundabout at the entrance to the Anchors Run housing development before curving northeast and crossing Bundicks Branch. Upon reaching the Five Points intersection in the community of Nassau, DE 23 intersects DE 1D and turns to the north, with DE 1D/DE 24 Alt. continuing straight and curving to the southeast. A short distance later, DE 23 intersects US 9/DE 404 and turns east-northeast to join those two routes on the four-lane divided Lewes Georgetown Highway. DE 23 reaches its northern terminus at an intersection with DE 1, at which point DE 404 also ends and US 9 turns east to join DE 1. At this intersection, access from northbound DE 23 to northbound DE 1 is provided by a reverse jughandle. Past this intersection, the road becomes US 9 Business (US 9 Bus.).[3][4]

The section of DE 23 between the southern terminus and the north end of the DE 5 concurrency serves as part of a primary hurricane evacuation route from the Long Neck area to points inland.[5] The route has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 14,359 vehicles at the northern terminus at DE 1 to a low of 1,740 vehicles at the south end of the DE 24 Alt. concurrency.[1] The small portion of DE 23 that is concurrent with US 9/DE 404 is part of the National Highway System.[6]

History
DE 23 southbound in Hollymount

By 1920, what is now DE 23 existed as an unimproved county road.[7] The portion of the present route that is concurrent with DE 5 was upgraded to a state highway by 1931.[8] DE 22 was designated in 1936 along the portion of present DE 23 south of the DE 5 intersection in Fairmount.[9] By 1938, DE 22 was decommissioned, with DE 5 designated on the portion north of DE 24 while Long Neck Road south of there became unnumbered.[10] By 1970, the road was paved.[11] DE 23 was assigned onto its current alignment by 1994.[2] DE 24 Alt. was designated to run along DE 23 between Hollymount Road and Plantation Road by 2006.[12] On October 15, 2021, a roundabout opened at the entrance to the Anchors Run housing development.[13]

In 1991, the Five Points intersection was reconfigured to separate the DE 23 and Plantation Road intersection from US 9/DE 404, with a short connector road linking US 9/DE 404 to the two roads. In addition, a jughandle was constructed from eastbound US 9/DE 404 to northbound DE 1. In 2022, construction began to reconfigure the intersection between US 9/DE 404 and DE 1D/DE 23 that would realign DE 1D and DE 23 to meet at a roundabout and intersect a longer connector road linking to US 9/DE 404 and also build a direct ramp from southbound DE 1 to US 9/DE 404 at the DE 1D/DE 23 intersection. Construction on this project is planned to be finished in 2024.[14][15]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Sussex County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Long Neck0.000.00Massey's Landing Boat RampSouthern terminus
5.478.80
 DE 5 south / DE 24 (John J. Williams Highway) – Oak Orchard, Rehoboth Beach		South end of DE 5 overlap
Fairmount8.0112.89
 DE 5 north (Indian Mission Road)		North end of DE 5 overlap
Hollymount8.8514.24

 DE 24 Alt. west (Hollymount Road)		South end of DE 24 Alt. overlap
Nassau14.5923.48


 DE 1D south / DE 24 Alt. east (Plantation Road)		North end of DE 24 Alt. overlap; northern terminus of DE 1D
14.6223.53

 US 9 west / DE 404 west (Lewes Georgetown Highway) – Georgetown		South end of US 9/DE 404 overlap
14.7623.75
 US 9 east / DE 1 (Coastal Highway) – Rehoboth Beach


 US 9 Bus. east (Savannah Road) – Lewes

 DE 404 ends		North end of US 9/DE 404 overlap; northern terminus; eastern terminus of DE 404; western terminus of US 9 Bus.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References
  1. Staff (2018). "Traffic Count and Mileage Report: Interstate, Delaware, and US Routes" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  2. Delaware Department of Transportation Division of Planning Cartographic Information Section (1994). Delaware Official State Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  3. Delaware Department of Transportation (2017). Official Travel & Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  4. Google (August 24, 2010). "overview of Delaware Route 23" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  5. Delmarva Peninsula Evacuation Route Map (PDF) (Map). Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  6. National Highway System: Delaware (PDF) (Map). Federal Highway Administration. 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  7. Delaware State Highway Department (1920). Official Road Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  8. Delaware State Highway Department (1931). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  9. "1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Delaware - Sussex County - ED 3-1 - ED 3-57". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  10. Delaware State Highway Department; The National Survey Co. (1938). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department.
  11. Delaware State Highway Department (1970). Official Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  12. Delaware Department of Transportation (2006). Delaware Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  13. Roth, Nick (October 8, 2021). "Roundabouts abound". Cape Gazette. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  14. "Plantation Road Workshop Display" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  15. "Project: Plantation Road Improvements, Robinsonville Road to US 9 (Phase 1)". Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
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