MILLSBORO, Del. — The North Millsboro Bypass is one step closer to receiving a new name after the Delaware General Assembly approved legislation to rename the highway the Senator Richard S. Cordrey Bypass.
The House gave final approval to Senate Bill 349 late June 30, the final night of the legislative session. The bipartisan measure, sponsored by Rep. Jones Giltner and Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, would rename the 2.4-mile, $140 million roadway in honor of the late former state senator and Millsboro native Richard S. Cordrey.
The bypass, which opened to traffic in September 2025 after more than two years of construction, was built to divert truck traffic and resort-bound drivers around the longtime bottleneck in downtown Millsboro.
Cordrey served in the Delaware General Assembly from 1970 to 1996, spending all but two years of his legislative career in the Senate. From January 1977 until November 1996, he served as Senate president pro tempore, making him the nation's longest-serving person in that role at the time of his retirement.
After leaving the General Assembly, Cordrey joined Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's administration in 2005 as Delaware secretary of finance, serving in the Cabinet position for four years.
According to the bill synopsis, the designation recognizes Cordrey's decades of public service and his contributions to Delaware's fiscal and economic stability. Cordrey died in 2022 at age 88.
The legislation now awaits consideration by Gov. Matt Meyer and is expected to be signed into law during a ceremony near the bypass.
