Delaware Route 30

Route description

DE 30 begins at an intersection with Bi-State Boulevard in southwestern Sussex County between Laurel and Delmar, heading east on two-lane undivided Whitesville Road. A short distance later, the road crosses US 13 at a superstreet intersection, in which DE 30 traffic must turn right, use U-turn ramps along US 13, and turn right again to continue on DE 30. Following this, the road through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes to the south of Trap Pond State Park. The route turns southeast before it curves to the east again. Farther east, DE 30 comes to an intersection with DE 26/DE 54.

At this point, DE 30 turns northeast to form a concurrency with DE 26/DE 54 on Millsboro Highway. The road curves north and heads into the residential community Gumboro, where DE 54 splits to the east. DE 26/DE 30 leaves Gumboro and continues back into areas of farms and forests with occasional residences. In Shaft Ox Corner, DE 26 splits to the east and DE 30 heads north to an intersection with DE 24 in Mission.

Here, DE 24 turns north to join DE 30, with the road running northeast. Farther along, residential development increases as the road heads into Millsboro. At this point, the road names becomes Laurel Road and it reaches an intersection with US 113/DE 20. Past this intersection, DE 24/DE 30 turns north-northeast on Washington Street. The two routes split into a one-way pair following Main Street northbound and Washington Street southbound, crossing Norfolk Southern's Indian River Secondary railroad line. The one-way pair runs through the downtown area of Millsboro, rejoining along two-way Main Street and crossing Indian River to the east of Millsboro Pond. A short distance later, DE 24 and DE 30 split at an intersection.

Upon splitting from DE 24, DE 30 signage changes from east-west to north-south and the route leaves Millsboro. It continues north on Gravel Hill Road, passing to the east of Millsboro Pond. The road heads through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes. In the community of Zoar, the route intersects DE 24 Alt. Farther north, DE 30 reaches the community of Gravel Hill. In Gravel Hill, the road crosses a Delaware Coast Line Railroad line and comes to an intersection with US 9/DE 404. From this point, the route curves northwest before bending north again. DE 30 intersects DE 5 Alt., which serves as a western bypass of Milton for DE 5. Here, DE 5 Alt. turns north to form a concurrency with DE 30, with the road crossing an abandoned railroad line just east of the terminus of a Delaware Coast Line Railroad branch. At an intersection with DE 16, DE 5 Alt. heads east along with that route and DE 30 continues north on Isaacs Road.

The route heads away from Milton and passes to the east of Reynolds Pond. DE 30 intersects Cedar Creek Road and turns northwest onto that road, curving north and back to the northwest. The road runs to the east of Swiggets Pond and intersects DE 30 Alt., which heads northeast to an intersection with DE 1. DE 30 continues north-northwest and comes to ramps providing access to and from the southbound lanes of DE 1. At this point, the route gains a center left-turn lane and reaches an intersection with Wilkins Road, which provides access to and from the northbound lanes of DE 1 at an interchange. Past this intersection, DE 30 turns northwest and passes between residential subdivisions to the southwest and DE 1 to the northeast as a two-lane road, coming to its northern terminus at an intersection with DE 1 Bus. at the point that route merges into DE 1 at an interchange southeast of Milford.

DE 30 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 20,273 vehicles at the northern edge of Millsboro to a low of 862 vehicles at the intersection with DE 26/DE 54. None of DE 30 is part of the National Highway System.

History

By 1920, what is now DE 30 existed as a state highway between Mission and Phillips Hill and was proposed as one between Phillips Hill and Millsboro, with the remainder of the route existing as a county road. The state highway between Phillips Hill and Millsboro was completed by 1924. The state highway portion of the present-day route was extended from Mission to Gumboro a year later, with a section in the Gumboro area under proposal as a state highway. By 1931, the road was completed as a state highway between US 13 and Jones Branch and from James Branch to Gumboro. In addition, the state highway was completed from Millsboro to north of Gravel Hill as an unpaved road, with a portion north of Gravel Hill becoming a paved county road. The state highway between US 13 and Gumboro was fully complete the following year. By 1936, the road between Millsboro and Gravel Hill was paved.

By 1938, DE 30 was designated to run from DE 24 in Millsboro north to DE 5 in Milton, following its current alignment to north of Gravel Hill and then running along Shingle Point Road north into Milton. A portion of current DE 30 south of the DE 16 intersection was paved a year later. By 1952, the current route of DE 30 north of Gravel Hill was paved. DE 30 was rerouted to follow its present alignment north to DE 14 (now DE 1) south of Milford by 1971. By 1994, DE 30 was extended from Millsboro to its current terminus at Bi-State Boulevard. DE 30s northern terminus was moved to its current location at DE 1 Business by 2003 when a road connecting DE 30 to DE 1 Business was completed. In November 2012, construction began on an interchange at DE 1 southeast of Milford. The interchange between DE 1 and DE 30 was completed in July 2014.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Sussex County.

Delaware Route 30 Alternate

Delaware Route 30 Alternate (DE 30 Alt.) is a 0.74 miles (1.19 km) alternate route of DE 30 south of the city of Milford in the Cedar Creek area. It runs from DE 30 northeast to DE 1 along two-lane undivided Johnson Road, passing through a mix of farmland, woodland, and residential development. The route was created by 1999.