LEWES, Del.- Among the busiest times of the year, the Five Points Working Group and the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) continue their collaboration on making the area safer.
Conversations have sparked again about pedestrian bridges with a focus on Coastal Highway. DelDOT has identified Lewes Transit Center, Dartmouth Drive, and Tanger Outlets Surfside at Midway as three possible locations.
DelDOT Consultant Jeff Riegner says the focus is based on feasibility and how frequented the spot is by pedestrians and cyclists.
"For example, connecting residential areas to shopping areas or community services," Riegner said. "Or for connecting tourists to various destinations. We looked carefully into the field of locations that did not have an insurmountable amount of technical issues."
DelDOT Transportation Planner Jennifer Cinelli-Miller says the bridge would have to comply with the state's right of way law.
"State's right of way is along roadways where you will find utilities normally, pieces of property that allow us to have storm water systems and other facilities that we have to have access to," Cinelli-Miller said.
Sixth district Senator Ernie Lopez says it would be hard to find that property on the crowded highway.
"I think having conversations about are more than reasonable, but those conversations are going to be unrealistic in regards to what we can really do," Lopez said. "The crosswalk improvements we have made over the last five years have made significant improvements."
A single bridge would cost about four to eight million dollars depending on the size and materials that are needed. Senator Lopez has advice for people who choose to walk or bike along or across Coastal Highway, especially during the evening.
"It's really important that individuals who want to ride bikes from Lewes to Rehoboth really use the Junction-Breakwater Trail as a thoroughfare as opposed to Route 1," Lopez said.