Delaware Route 48

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

DE Route 48

Length:

7.11 mi^[1] (11.44 km)

West end:

DE 41 in Hockessin

Major
junctions:

DE 100/DE 141 west of Wilmington

DE 2 in Wilmington

I-95/US 202 in Wilmington

DE 4 in Wilmington

East end:

BUS US 13 in Wilmington

Routes in Delaware
< DE 44		DE 52 >

Delaware Route 48 connects the City of Wilmington, Delaware to an intersection with Delaware Route 41 (Newport-Gap Pike) about 2 miles from the Pennsylvania state line in Hockessin, Delaware.

Route 48 is known as Lancaster Avenue in the city of Wilmington and Lancaster Pike outside of the city. The westbound portion of Route 48 in Wilmington to Union Street is Second Street which is one way. Lancaster Avenue is one way eastbound from Union Street.

[edit] Route description

Delaware Route 48 heads to the southeast from DE 41 on Lancaster Pike, passing through suburban areas. It crosses the Red Clay Creek and continues to the east as a four-lane, divided highway. It heads east to an intersection with Delaware Route 100 and Delaware Route 141. At this intersection, DE 100 makes a left turn from DE 141 southbound to form a concurrency with DE 48.

Past the DE 141 intersection, DE 48 narrows back into an undivided highway. It heads southeast toward the city border of Wilmington, where it becomes Lancaster Avenue and where DE 100 heads to the south on Dupont Road. DE 48 continues into the city where it meets Delaware Route 2, which at this point follows the one-way pair of Lincoln Street northbound and Union Street southbound. Here, DE 48 splits into the one-way pair of Lancaster Avenue eastbound and 2nd Street westbound. It follows these one-way streets toward downtown Wilmington.

Upon reaching downtown Wilmington, DE 48 intersects Delaware Route 4 (Maryland Avenue), and it features ramp connections to Interstate 95, which passes over this part of Wilmington on a viaduct, to and from the south and from the north via Adams and Jackson Streets, and also connections to I-95 via Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, which runs between Lancaster Ave and 2nd Street. DE 48 contiunes east toward its eastern terminus at U.S. Route 13 Business adjacent to the Wilmington Train Station. At this point, US 13 Business follows Walnut Street northbound and at the intersection with DE 48 shifts from King Street southbound to Market Street southbound.

[edit] History

Route 48 (Lancaster Pike) was a cut off for farmers from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania hauling produce to tidewater at Wilmington in the late 1700s. In the early days, it was a toll road and later became a public road without tolls.

The designation "Route 48" began in the 1920's as it was seen as an extension of New Jersey Route 48 by means of the Wilmington - Penns Grove Ferry. It is the only Delaware route that continues a New Jersey state route number (there are several PA and MD roads that do).

After the termination of ferry service from Wilmington to Penns Grove in the 1940s, the route number was retained. The Delaware terminal of this ferry was at 4th Street in Wilmington on the Christina River.