SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - Traffic concerns along Route 9 in Sussex County are prompting state and local officials to seek public input as part of a new corridor study and master plan initiative.
Route 9 is one of Sussex County’s busiest roadways and becomes increasingly congested during the warmer months. As the county’s population continues to grow, many say the area’s infrastructure is struggling to keep pace.
“I think we need bigger lanes,” said William Gutierrez. “It’s getting populated. It’s a lot of people here, so we need to grow.”
The Sussex County Planning and Zoning Department and the Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination hosted a public workshop Tuesday evening at the Georgetown Cheer Center as part of the Route 9 Corridor Study and Master Plan Initiative. The effort aims to address preservation, land use and future growth along major highways in Sussex County.
“This is a very important public workshop in that basically the state and the county are working together on formulating and studying the U.S. Route 9 corridor,” said Jamie Whitehouse, Sussex County Planning and Zoning director. “And the purpose of that study is to embark on a study that creates a master plan for the corridor.”
“There’s only so much the roads can take. The traffic has a limit somewhere,” local resident Graham Upton said. “I think the increase is all the developments and not doing the infrastructure around it to improve the roads first.”
Some residents at the meeting said they appreciated the opportunity to share concerns directly with officials.
“I do appreciate that they are this transparent, that they do offer these opportunities,” said Elissa Proto, who lives along the Route 9 corridor.
Another community member who lives along Route 9 but asked to remain anonymous questioned whether residents’ concerns were truly being heard.
“It was an attempt to show, look, the state’s working with the county,” the resident said. “And I don’t think I was hearing anyone and I don’t think anyone’s really hearing the community.”
