March 1, 2001

WHEREAS, the Executive Committee of the Council of Civic Organizations, after careful and reasoned consideration, wishes to convey the committee’s position regarding the Tyler McConnell Bridge to the Tyler McConnell Bridge Working Group, the Delaware Department of Transportation, and all parties concerned.

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that the following statement be entered into the record as the position of the Executive Committee.

The Tyler McConnell Bridge is currently the focus of study regarding the need to accommodate current and future traffic capacity, both on the bridge itself and on SR141. The limitations of the bridge and adjacent roadways have been identified and considered repeatedly in various forums and studies dating back in time several decades. SR141 has been built out according to the design intentions of the corridor from New Castle to Fairfax, with the exception of the TM Bridge. The design intention of the corridor has evolved in concept through the years, ranging from a limited access highway to a dual lane regional arterial, but the road has always been acknowledged to be an important arterial highway, carrying a significant portion of the traffic in northern New Castle County.

SR141 serves Brandywine Hundred, as well as the rest of northern New Castle County, as one of only two arterial connectors to Newark, Pike Creek Valley, Mill Creek and other locales. Interstate Route 95 is the other connector. Because of the layout of the region, and the lack of other principal arterial roads, these two roads serve as east-west, as well as north-south connectors between Brandywine Hundred and most of the other parts of New Castle County, as well as the rest of the state. Limitations of traffic flow on either SR141 or I-95 severely impact Brandywine Hundred. In the 1950’s and 1960’s consideration was given to a third east-west arterial connector, as future growth was contemplated and planned (albeit, inadequately). This connector, that is unlikely to ever be realized, was to run from Concord Pike and Naamans Road to the upper Pike Creek Valley, along the northern arc of the County. Since this road will never be realized, it is critically important to Brandywine Hundred, as well as all of New Castle County, that the capacity features of SR141not be compromised in any way.

The Brandywine Valley, as it exists, is a precious and irreplaceable feature and resource. The failure of SR141 and growth of local traffic has already irretrievably and negatively impacted the Brandywine Valley. SR92 and SR100 have become the Concord Pike By-pass, largely because of the back-ups that occur daily on the TM Bridge. The other narrow, winding rural roads of the Valley have been likewise impacted because of the failure of SR141 and the other main roads of the region. As growth and traffic continue to increase, the load on these roads will grow also, ultimately resulting in the demand for capacity improvements to these roads. Obviously, it would be desirable to keep the traffic on the main roads and preserve these rural roads for as long as possible. There is already a willingness among many in the community to widen, straighten and add signals to SR92 and SR100 because of the unsafe conditions resulting from the increase in traffic and the speed of many using the road as a high speed alternative to Concord Pike and SR141.

There currently are parochial interests intent on preventing needed improvements to the TM Bridge. It is unfortunate that these interests view the bridge and the connecting portions of SR141 as a local, even hamlet-type of transportation resource. Growth in the region, as well as the Astra-Zeneca and DuPont Company expansion projects, has been predicated on SR141 and the TM Bridge carrying the capacity of a four lane arterial roadway. The future will not lessen this need, although the future will certainly add to the complications and expense of constructing the needed increased capacity of the bridge. Back-ups on the bridge exacerbate pollution of the river valley around the bridge. Efforts to redirect regional car and truck traffic onto I-95 only further overload and worsen the traffic and pollution woes of that roadway. New Castle County residents are needlessly inconvenienced by the bottleneck created on SR141. Completing this roadway will benefit all, and once accomplished, the naysayers will surely be grateful for the improvement.

Build a four-lane bridge, with any reasonable alternative modal features, and build it now. Past inaction has shown the folly of waiting too long.

By: _____________________________

PHILIP C. LAVELLE

Executive Committee

Adopted by CCOBH Executive Committee