Intersection Work Eyed At Routes 54, 1

FENWICK ISLAND – A permanent easement will allow Delaware’s transportation agency to complete a drainage project at a busy resort intersection.

Last week, the Fenwick Island Town Council voted unanimously to grant a permanent easement near Island Street and West Maryland Avenue to the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) for a drainage project at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 54.

Stewart Magee, a representative with DelDOT, told the council the easement – consisting of approximately 16,900 square feet or 0.388 acres – would allow crews to reconstruct the drainage systems and reduce the severity of flooding at the busy intersection.

“As everybody knows, we’ve been having some really torrential downpours lately,” he said. “Of course, that greatly impacts the intersection here at Route 1 and Route 54. With that being said, we are trying to go back and see how we can make it better.”

Magee said the project would include the installation of a larger pipe. The water would then be carried west to a drain system on West Maryland Avenue and out into the bay.

“The existing drainage system runs up Route 1 almost up underneath the sidewalk, which is 18-inch reinforced concrete pipe,” he said. “I’m proposing to do an elliptical pipe, carry that water back toward the west and go in between the waterslide and go-kart track … Whatever the 18-inch line can’t take, I’ve now created additional storage during peak discharge.”

Magee said the project was cost efficient and had the least impact on drivers. He added it would also alleviate flooding issues.

“Realistically I’m never going to say I can fix it, that you’re never going to see water there,” he said. “But I think we can make a drastic improvement in that line.”

Magee said the permanent easement would allow DelDOT to reconstruct and maintain the drainage system.

“In order to accomplish this, we would need an easement from you guys to be able to construct the actual pipe system itself, starting at the outfall and working our way upstream …,” he said. “After that, with the easement, we’ll be able to fix, maintain, flush, repair anything on the existing line.”

Councilman Bill Weistling questioned if the project would also include the installation of additional drains, particularly in the area behind Fenwick Crab House.

“For right now I’m going to say we don’t have it in our plan …,” Magee replied. “I won’t rule out being able to tie in things down the road, but for right now it’s not my intention in the design.”

Officials noted the project will be completed in the off-season.

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.