Delaware Turnpike
Encyclopedia
The Delaware Turnpike, also known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, is an 11.2 miles (18 km) tolled highway that lies entirely within the state of Delaware
. Running in a general southwest to northeast direction, paralleling nearby U.S. Route 40
(US 40), the highway connects the cities of Baltimore
and Washington, D.C.
, with Philadelphia (via Interstate 95
, I-95) and New York City
(via the New Jersey Turnpike
). It is the most expensive toll road in the United States based on a cost-per-mile average.
The Delaware Turnpike was built between 1960 and 1963 and was dedicated by President
John F. Kennedy
on November 15, 1963, just one week before his assassination in the Dallas motorcade
. The highway is designated as I-95 between the Maryland
state line and Newport, Delaware
and as I-295 between Newport and the Farnhurst interchange with US 13
and US 40. It is owned and maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation
(DelDOT).
, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
, and the New Jersey Turnpike
were opened between 1953 and 1957. Originally, the State of Delaware wanted to build a four-lane toll highway that paralleled the present-day US 13/US 40 highway in New Castle, Delaware
, connecting to a corresponding toll highway in Maryland in what is now US 301
. With the formation of the Interstate Highway System
, the predecessor of the present-day DelDOT and the Maryland Transportation Authority
decided to build a route that would provide a more direct connection with Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Because of a fallout between the governors of both Delaware and Maryland and the Eisenhower Administration
, both the MTA and DelDOT decided to build their sections of I-95, but unlike the earlier Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes, the Delaware Turnpike and John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in Maryland would be built up to the Interstate Highway standards of its day. Unlike the narrow median strip of the Pennsylvania Turnpike or the Jersey barrier
of the New Jersey Turnpike, both the Delaware Turnpike and John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway featured wide median barriers (since narrowed due to road expansion projects), two 15 feet (4.6 m) wide travel lanes (at the time of completion), and a unified exit numbering system. Three service plazas, two in Maryland and one near Newark, Delaware
, straddle the middle of the roadway.
The Delaware Turnpike served as one of few examples of the building of a toll highway in the era of the building of a nationwide Interstate Highway network. Other highway authorities, including the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, had highway expansion projects in the planning stages when the Interstate Highway Act was signed, but were dropped in favor of the Interstate Highway system, with most of the former planned Pennsylvania Turnpike routes becoming Interstate Highways in their own right. With federal funds given to both Maryland and Delaware under both the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations, all other sections of I-95 in Maryland (between the Capital Beltway
and Baltimore) and Delaware (between the Delaware Turnpike and the Pennsylvania
state line) were built as non-tolled freeways.
Another extension, using most of the original Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Delaware Memorial Bridge route and signed as US 301, would have used what is now DE 896 between Newark and Summit Bridge and a new right-of-way parallel to, but west of DE 896 between Summit Bridge and the present-day US 301 highway in Maryland. Despite the high hopes of this US 301 extension being built (the Summit Bridge itself and its approaches, completed in 1960, were built to highway standards), local opposition forced DelDOT to abandoned its plans for the US 301 extension in the 1990s, resurrecting it in 2006 as the planned relocation of US 301 that will connect the present-day US 301 highway in Maryland with the DE 1 Turnpike near St. Georges, Delaware.
electronic toll collection. Prior to 1976, tolls were collected on the Delaware Turnpike's three exits (DE 896, DE 273, and what is now DE 1/DE 7), but have since been removed, their former locations marked with straight wide sections on entrance or exit ramps where the tolls were collected. The Delaware Turnpike toll plaza is often shunpiked
by way of parallel local roads. In the summer of 2011, reconstruction of the Delaware Turnpike toll plaza was completed in a $32.6 million project, adding high-speed E-ZPass lanes.
Originally opened with a total of four travel lanes (two in each direction), the highway currently has a total of eight travel lanes between the mainline toll plaza and the Del. Turnpike–DE 1/DE 7 interchange, and ten travel lanes (five in each direction) between the DE 1/DE 7 interchange and the triple interchange with I-295, the I-95 freeway to Wilmington, Delaware
, and I-495
to the Port of Wilmington and Philadelphia, making it one of the widest roadways in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area (a distinction held by I-76 between the Walt Whitman Bridge
and I-295 and New Jersey Route 42 in Camden, New Jersey
). A short three-lane section of the highway exists between the mainline toll plaza and the Maryland state line, but with the planned toll plaza total rebuild project, both DelDOT and the MdTA have plans of expanding their corresponding highways between the toll plaza and Maryland Route 279
to eight lanes, eliminating traffic snarls that plague the highway.
The fifth lane, added in 2008, is part of an expansion project that was started by DelDOT in 2005 with the eventual goal of rebuilding the Del. Turnpike–DE 1/DE 7 interchange from its current "classic cloverleaf" configuration to a new configuration featuring multi-lane high-speed (45 mile per hour) flyover ramps similar in nature to the flyover ramps being designed for the proposed interchange between I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Bristol, Pennsylvania
. Since the opening of the added lanes in fall 2008, DelDOT has been able to better handle heavy traffic between Wilmington and Churchmans Crossing during peak travel times, although some traffic backups still occur due to the ramp restrictions.
, which has since become a non-toll highway (except at the Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge
, in which a one-way toll [northbound] is still charged). The exit numbers adopted after 1982 are similar to those used on most Northeastern Interstate highways, and unlike the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway (DE 1), are numbered sequentially. A median service area with several gas stations and restaurants exists between exits 1 and 3. Also, ramp tolls existed on exits 1, 3, and 4 (on-ramps exiting southbound or entering northbound), but were removed in 1976. There are talks about reinstating the ramp tolls at exits 1 and 3 in the future to pay for a major upgrade project at exit 4 to replace the current "classic cloverleaf" interchange with high-speed fly-over ramps.
There is no exit 2. That never-built exit was to have connected to either a new US 301 bypass around Newark that would have allowed US 301 to connect with US 1
(its parent highway) in Pennsylvania
or the proposed Pike Creek Expressway.
(one of the few remaining in the Philadelphia Metro Area), Sbarro
pizzeria, and a Starbucks
. Fuel services were provided by Sunoco
(formerly Mobil
) which occupied a plot at southern end of the plaza. Exxon
had a station at the northern end.
The plaza is maintained by HMSHost Corporation through an agreement with the State of Delaware and provides the same services to the service plazas owned by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (which includes the Garden State Parkway
), and the South Jersey Transportation Authority
(for the Atlantic City Expressway
).
On September 3, 2008, DelDOT announced that in spring 2009, construction would begin on a new travel plaza on the same site as the original Delaware House, which would be demolished prior to the start of construction. On September 3, 2009, DelDOT announced that Delaware House would close on September 8, so that construction could begin on the new welcome center. It was opened in June 2010.
The new center now includes a main facility of approximately 43000 square feet (3,994.8 m²) of space with a Delaware Tourism information center, a Z-Market gift shop which replaces the original Travel Mart, a Famous Famiglia Pizzeria (which replaces Sbarro) and Burger King
(which replaced Roy Rogers). Fast food outlets Popeyes
, Carvel, Brioche Dorée
, and Baja Fresh
were also added while Starbucks
and Cinnabon
were retained from the previous facility. The Sunoco
station was rebuilt at the northern end of the service area. Free wireless Internet access, which was previously not offered in the Delaware House, is now available throughout the Welcome Center and in the parking lot. There is also a Best Buy Express
kiosk which sells electronic devices.
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. Running in a general southwest to northeast direction, paralleling nearby U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
(US 40), the highway connects the cities of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, with Philadelphia (via Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Delaware
In Delaware, Interstate 95 runs diagonally from the border with Maryland northeast to the border with Pennsylvania. Between the Maryland state line and exit 5, I-95 is also designated as the Delaware Turnpike and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. Along with its auxiliaries, I-95 is the only...
, I-95) and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(via the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
). It is the most expensive toll road in the United States based on a cost-per-mile average.
The Delaware Turnpike was built between 1960 and 1963 and was dedicated by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
on November 15, 1963, just one week before his assassination in the Dallas motorcade
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
. The highway is designated as I-95 between the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
state line and Newport, Delaware
Newport, Delaware
Newport is a town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located on the Christina River. It is best known for being the home of colonial inventor Oliver Evans. The population was 1,055 at the 2010 census...
and as I-295 between Newport and the Farnhurst interchange with US 13
U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 13 is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. In all, it traverses five states in the Atlantic coastal plain region,...
and US 40. It is owned and maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation
Delaware Department of Transportation
The Delaware Department of Transportation is an agency of the U.S. state of Delaware. The Secretary of Transportation is Shailen Bhatt...
(DelDOT).
Early history
The history of the Delaware Turnpike goes back to the 1950s when the Delaware Memorial BridgeDelaware Memorial Bridge
The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40 between Delaware and New Jersey...
, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban Western Shore. The original span opened in 1952 and, at the time, with a length of , it was the world's longest...
, and the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
were opened between 1953 and 1957. Originally, the State of Delaware wanted to build a four-lane toll highway that paralleled the present-day US 13/US 40 highway in New Castle, Delaware
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...
, connecting to a corresponding toll highway in Maryland in what is now US 301
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland is a major highway that runs from Delaware to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge into Virginia. It passes through three of Maryland's four main regions: the Eastern Shore, the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, and Southern Maryland...
. With the formation of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, the predecessor of the present-day DelDOT and the Maryland Transportation Authority
Maryland Transportation Authority
The Maryland Transportation Authority is an independent state agency responsible for financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining eight toll facilities, currently consisting of two toll roads, two tunnels, and four bridges in Maryland...
decided to build a route that would provide a more direct connection with Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Because of a fallout between the governors of both Delaware and Maryland and the Eisenhower Administration
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, both the MTA and DelDOT decided to build their sections of I-95, but unlike the earlier Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes, the Delaware Turnpike and John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in Maryland would be built up to the Interstate Highway standards of its day. Unlike the narrow median strip of the Pennsylvania Turnpike or the Jersey barrier
Jersey barrier
A Jersey barrier or Jersey wall is a modular concrete barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to both minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing crossover in the case of head-on accidents....
of the New Jersey Turnpike, both the Delaware Turnpike and John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway featured wide median barriers (since narrowed due to road expansion projects), two 15 feet (4.6 m) wide travel lanes (at the time of completion), and a unified exit numbering system. Three service plazas, two in Maryland and one near Newark, Delaware
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
, straddle the middle of the roadway.
The Delaware Turnpike served as one of few examples of the building of a toll highway in the era of the building of a nationwide Interstate Highway network. Other highway authorities, including the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, had highway expansion projects in the planning stages when the Interstate Highway Act was signed, but were dropped in favor of the Interstate Highway system, with most of the former planned Pennsylvania Turnpike routes becoming Interstate Highways in their own right. With federal funds given to both Maryland and Delaware under both the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations, all other sections of I-95 in Maryland (between the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
and Baltimore) and Delaware (between the Delaware Turnpike and the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
state line) were built as non-tolled freeways.
Extensions studied
In the 1970s, DelDOT studied a plan to rebuild US 13 into a so-called "Dover Extension" that would connect the main highway with the state capital with a high-speed roadway. Local opposition, especially farmers, killed the original Dover Extension project but it would be resurrected in the 1980s and would become the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway (signed as Delaware Route 1, DE 1), which was completed by DelDOT in 2003.Another extension, using most of the original Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Delaware Memorial Bridge route and signed as US 301, would have used what is now DE 896 between Newark and Summit Bridge and a new right-of-way parallel to, but west of DE 896 between Summit Bridge and the present-day US 301 highway in Maryland. Despite the high hopes of this US 301 extension being built (the Summit Bridge itself and its approaches, completed in 1960, were built to highway standards), local opposition forced DelDOT to abandoned its plans for the US 301 extension in the 1990s, resurrecting it in 2006 as the planned relocation of US 301 that will connect the present-day US 301 highway in Maryland with the DE 1 Turnpike near St. Georges, Delaware.
Tolls
The Delaware Turnpike is the most expensive toll road in the United States (excluding toll bridges and tunnels), based on cost-per-mile average. , tolls on the Delaware Turnpike are $4.00 in each direction; 35.7 cents per mile (increased from $3.00, or 26.8 cents for mile), collected at the Newark toll plaza near the Maryland state line. Like most toll highways in the northeast U.S., toll collection is done either with cash fare or with E-ZPassE-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll-collection system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern US, south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the . All member agencies use the same technology,...
electronic toll collection. Prior to 1976, tolls were collected on the Delaware Turnpike's three exits (DE 896, DE 273, and what is now DE 1/DE 7), but have since been removed, their former locations marked with straight wide sections on entrance or exit ramps where the tolls were collected. The Delaware Turnpike toll plaza is often shunpiked
Shunpiking
The term shunpiking comes from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and pike, a term referring to turnpikes, which are roads that require payment of a toll to travel on them...
by way of parallel local roads. In the summer of 2011, reconstruction of the Delaware Turnpike toll plaza was completed in a $32.6 million project, adding high-speed E-ZPass lanes.
Design
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, and I-495
Interstate 495 (Delaware)
Interstate 495 in Delaware is a six-lane bypass of Interstate 95 around the city of Wilmington, Delaware. Built in the mid-1970s and opened as the "Wilmington Bypass", the highway became, between 1978 and 1982, the route of I-95 around Wilmington, while the original highway through the city,...
to the Port of Wilmington and Philadelphia, making it one of the widest roadways in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area (a distinction held by I-76 between the Walt Whitman Bridge
Walt Whitman Bridge
The Walt Whitman Bridge is a green-colored single-level suspension bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Gloucester City, New Jersey. Named after the poet Walt Whitman, who resided in nearby Camden toward the end of his life, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of the larger bridges...
and I-295 and New Jersey Route 42 in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
). A short three-lane section of the highway exists between the mainline toll plaza and the Maryland state line, but with the planned toll plaza total rebuild project, both DelDOT and the MdTA have plans of expanding their corresponding highways between the toll plaza and Maryland Route 279
Maryland Route 279
Maryland Route 279 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Elkton Road and Newark Avenue, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 40 west of Elkton to the Delaware state line north of Elkton, where the highway continues as Delaware Route 2...
to eight lanes, eliminating traffic snarls that plague the highway.
The fifth lane, added in 2008, is part of an expansion project that was started by DelDOT in 2005 with the eventual goal of rebuilding the Del. Turnpike–DE 1/DE 7 interchange from its current "classic cloverleaf" configuration to a new configuration featuring multi-lane high-speed (45 mile per hour) flyover ramps similar in nature to the flyover ramps being designed for the proposed interchange between I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Bristol, Pennsylvania
Bristol, Pennsylvania
Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Philadelphia opposite Burlington, N.J. on the Delaware River. Bristol was first incorporated in 1720. Although its charter was revised in 1905, the original charter remains in effect, making Bristol one of the older boroughs in...
. Since the opening of the added lanes in fall 2008, DelDOT has been able to better handle heavy traffic between Wilmington and Churchmans Crossing during peak travel times, although some traffic backups still occur due to the ramp restrictions.
Interchanges
Prior to 1982, the Delaware Turnpike shared an exit numbering system with that of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, which has since become a non-toll highway (except at the Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge
Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge
The Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge is located on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in Maryland and carries Interstate 95 over the Susquehanna River between Cecil County and Harford County. Its annual traffic is 29 million vehicles....
, in which a one-way toll [northbound] is still charged). The exit numbers adopted after 1982 are similar to those used on most Northeastern Interstate highways, and unlike the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway (DE 1), are numbered sequentially. A median service area with several gas stations and restaurants exists between exits 1 and 3. Also, ramp tolls existed on exits 1, 3, and 4 (on-ramps exiting southbound or entering northbound), but were removed in 1976. There are talks about reinstating the ramp tolls at exits 1 and 3 in the future to pay for a major upgrade project at exit 4 to replace the current "classic cloverleaf" interchange with high-speed fly-over ramps.
There is no exit 2. That never-built exit was to have connected to either a new US 301 bypass around Newark that would have allowed US 301 to connect with US 1
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
(its parent highway) in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
or the proposed Pike Creek Expressway.
Services
A full-service plaza informally known as Delaware House is located between the DE 896 and DE 273 interchanges. Prior to 2008, this plaza offered food, gas, and bathroom services, along with an information center located near the north entrance. Food services in the original Delaware House included a Bob's Big Boy, Roy RogersRoy Rogers Family Restaurants
Roy Rogers Restaurants is a Northeastern United States chain of fast food restaurants founded by the Marriott Corporation in 1968 in Falls Church, Virginia. As of 2010, Roy Rogers has 47 locations. In 2002, the Plamondon Companies purchased the trademark from Imasco, the former parent of Hardee's...
(one of the few remaining in the Philadelphia Metro Area), Sbarro
Sbarro
Sbarro is a bankrupt chain of pizza restaurants that specializes in traditional Italian cuisine, including its most popular menu item "pizza by the slice." Its headquarters is located in Melville, Huntington, New York.- History :...
pizzeria, and a Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
. Fuel services were provided by Sunoco
Sunoco
Sunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
(formerly Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
) which occupied a plot at southern end of the plaza. Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
had a station at the northern end.
The plaza is maintained by HMSHost Corporation through an agreement with the State of Delaware and provides the same services to the service plazas owned by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (which includes the Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
), and the South Jersey Transportation Authority
South Jersey Transportation Authority
The South Jersey Transportation Authority is a quasi-private agency created by the New Jersey Legislature in 1991 to manage transportation-related services in the six South Jersey counties: Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem....
(for the Atlantic City Expressway
Atlantic City Expressway
The Atlantic City Expressway is a , controlled-access toll road in New Jersey, managed and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority...
).
On September 3, 2008, DelDOT announced that in spring 2009, construction would begin on a new travel plaza on the same site as the original Delaware House, which would be demolished prior to the start of construction. On September 3, 2009, DelDOT announced that Delaware House would close on September 8, so that construction could begin on the new welcome center. It was opened in June 2010.
The new center now includes a main facility of approximately 43000 square feet (3,994.8 m²) of space with a Delaware Tourism information center, a Z-Market gift shop which replaces the original Travel Mart, a Famous Famiglia Pizzeria (which replaces Sbarro) and Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
(which replaced Roy Rogers). Fast food outlets Popeyes
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits is a chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants, owned since 1993 by the Sandy Springs, Georgia-based AFC Enterprises, which was originally America's Favorite Chicken Company...
, Carvel, Brioche Dorée
Brioche Dorée
Brioche Dorée is a French bakery-café founded in 1976, operating restaurants throughout the world. The company was founded by by Louis Le Duff, current president of Groupe Le Duff, the second largest bakery-café chain in the world. The chain originally started in Brest. It serves over 200,000...
, and Baja Fresh
Baja Fresh
Baja Fresh is a chain of fast-casual Tex Mex restaurants founded in Newbury Park, California in 1990 and headquartered in Cypress, California. The chain emphasizes fresh ingredients, and each restaurant features a self-serve salsa bar....
were also added while Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
and Cinnabon
Cinnabon
Cinnabon is a chain of American baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in high-traffic areas such as malls. The company's signature item is a grande cinnamon roll. As of July 2009, over 750 Cinnabon bakeries are in operation in over 30 countries around the world...
were retained from the previous facility. The Sunoco
Sunoco
Sunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
station was rebuilt at the northern end of the service area. Free wireless Internet access, which was previously not offered in the Delaware House, is now available throughout the Welcome Center and in the parking lot. There is also a Best Buy Express
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
kiosk which sells electronic devices.