To increase traffic capacity and improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians traveling through downtown Newark, Delaware, KCI provided construction inspection services for the reconstruction of Delaware Avenue.
Delaware Avenue serves as a major thoroughfare carrying vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic through downtown Newark and the bustling University of Delaware campus. The two-lane, one-way roadway featured an eastbound bikeway, but cyclists had to occupy sidewalk space to travel westbound, creating congested and unsafe conditions for pedestrians. Prior to design, a study was performed to determine the feasibility of constructing a two-way cycle track parallel to a one-way roadway. The decision was made to construct the two-way bikeways along segments of Delaware Avenue where feasible, and one-way east- and westbound traveling bikeways on each side of the remainder of the roadway. To accommodate the local high school’s existing transportation access, an off-road solution was implemented.
The project included concrete pavement reconstruction of portions of Delaware Avenue, raised tabletops at certain intersections, and a bike box for left-turning cyclists at one of the busiest intersections. Additionally, curbing and medians, signalization, lighting and sidewalk improvements were made along the entirety of the reconstructed roadway to further increase the safety of pedestrian movement and cyclists traveling concurrently with vehicular traffic.
