Delaware
PennDOT road work in Delaware County, week of July 14, 2024
New projects
Beatty Road: Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed between Kelli Lane and Baltimore Pike in Springfield and Nether Providence townships for base repair.
Interstate 476
July 15 through July 19: 8 p.m. to 5 the following morning, a lane closure on sections of southbound between the I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) and I-95 interchanges for paving.
July 15 through July 19: 8 p.m. to 5 the following morning, a lane closure on sections northbound between the Route 3 (West Chester Pike) and I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) interchanges for guiderail replacement.
July 18 and July 19: 9 p.m. to 5 the following morning, a lane closure on sections southbound between the Route 3 (West Chester Pike) and MacDade Boulevard interchanges for stormwater management activities.
July 18 and July 19: 9 p.m. to 5 the following morning, a lane closure on sections northbound between I-95 and the County Line Road overpass for stormwater management activities.
Interstate 95
July 18 and July 19: 9 p.m. to 5 the following morning, a lane closure on sections southbound between the Prospect Park/Essington (Exit 9B-A) and I-476 (Exit 7) interchanges for stormwater management activities.
Newtown Township
Route 3 (West Chester Pike): Through Aug. 30, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. a weekday lane closure in both directions between Boot Road and Bryn Mawr Avenue, Newtown Township, safety improvement project.
Route 3 (West Chester Pike): Through July 19, 7 p.m. to 6 the following morning, a lane closure in both directions weeknights and Sunday nights between Boot Road and Charles Ellis Drive for milling and paving.
Bryn Mawr Avenue: will be closed from 7 p.m. Friday, July 26 to 6 a.m. Monday, July 29 at Route 3 (West Chester Pike) for drainage installation. Local access will be maintained up to the work zone.
Ongoing work
Southbound Route 452 (Market Street): Through Aug. 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, lane closure between Beech Street and Ridge Road, Upper Chichester and Lower Chichester townships, utility construction by the Southern Delaware County Authority.
Near Delco
U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike): Through Aug. 28, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a weekday lane closure from Greenwood Road to just south of Schoolhouse Road.
Route 3 (West Chester Pike): Through Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a weekday lane closure between Garfield Avenue and Spring Lane in West Goshen Township for concrete median demolition and reconstruction.
South Creek Road bridge
South Creek Road: will be closed 1,200 feet south of Bullock Road and 1.1 miles north of Cossart Road on a $15.2 million project to replace the bridge over the East Penn Railroad and Brandywine Creek in Pennsbury Township, Chester County, and Chadds Ford Township, Delaware County. A completion date was not provided.
Glen Riddle Road bridge
Through Nov. 21: closure scheduled between Brandywine Drive and Wrights Lane in Middletown Township to replace the bridge carrying Glen Riddle Road over Chrome Run Creek. Local access will be maintained for residents and businesses.
Route 420
The PennDOT $35.8 million project to replace the bridges that carry the highway over Darby Creek in Prospect Park and Tinicum Township.
Into 2027: One southbound lane of the Route 420 bridge over the Darby Creek to be closed 24/7 as a four-year project to refurbish and replace that span continues.
Thornbury Township
Station Road bridge 234: closed around the clock, no timetable to reopen.
PECO work
U.S. 1 (Township Line Road): Through July 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, a lane closure between Pilgrim Lane and Darby Creek in Drexel Hill.
Route 3 (West Chester Pike): Through Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekday lane closure in both directions between Glen Gary Drive and Eagle Road in Haverford Township.
U.S. 30 (Lancaster Avenue): Through Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a weekday lane closure between Church Road and Old Wynnewood Road in Lower Merion Township.
MacDade Boulevard: Through Dec. 31, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a weekday lane closure between MacDade Mall Boulevard and South Avenue in Glenolden.
Aqua Pa. work
U.S. 1 (Township Line Road): Through July 31, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a weekday lane closure between Alexander Avenue and Drexel Avenue.
Beatty Road: Through Aug. 2, a 24/7 closure between Chesley Drive and Surrey Road in Nether Providence Township.
Route 320 (Sproul Road): Through Aug. 30, 7 p.m. to 5 the following morning weekdays, lane closure between Beatty Road and the ramp to U.S. 1 (State Road) in Springfield Township.
Brookhaven Road/Turner Road: Through Aug. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. closed and detoured between Route 252 (Providence Road) and Plush Mill Road in Nether Providence Township.
Conestoga Road: Through Aug. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, a lane closure between Lowrys Lane and Glenbrook Avenue in Radnor Township.
Landover Road: Through Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. closed between Gaynor Road and Haverford Road.
Aqua issued the following information, and specified that the projects will likely all end in midsummer.
Radnor Township: Crews area replacing 3,860 feet of aging water mains with new 8-inch ductile iron water mains on the following streets:
• Hothorpe Lane: between Newtown Road and the end of the cul-de-sac.
• Knox Road: between Atterbury Road and Shadeland Road.
• Shadeland Road: between Knox Road and Newtown Road.
• Watch Hill Road: between Knox Road and the end of the cul-de-sac.
• Matlack Lane: between Newtown Road and the end of the road.
Haverford Township: crews are replacing 3,300 feet of aging water mains with new 8-inch ductile iron mains on the following streets:
• Pennsylvania Avenue between Darby Road and Manoa Road.
• Media Avenue between Darby Road and Weller Avenue.
• Weller Avenue between Pennsylvania Avenue and Manoa Road.
• Delaware Avenue between Pennsylvania Avenue and Manoa Road.
Upper Darby-Haverford: Crews are also working to replace 2,275 feet of aging water mains with new 16-inch ductile iron water mains in Upper Darby and Haverford townships.
• Township Line Road (PA Route 1) between Burmont Road and Drexel Avenue.
To learn more, AquaWater.com.
Nether Providence
Nether Providence Township adds to the Aqua report about Beatty Road:
“Jack and bore operations under the SEPTA trolley tracks at Beatty Road near the side entrance of the ACME/Chesley Drive and the nearest cross street of Surrey to the south.
“This 24/7 full closure for three weeks (hoping for two!!) Beatty Road is fully accessible except for the immediate track crossing. There will be no traffic allowed. Local traffic only.
“Formal detour signs will be posted, including specific signs “open to SEPTA crossing” and “local traffic only,” on the Springfield side up at Sproul Road and again where Crum Creek Road meets Beatty.”
The Hagley Museum and Library houses a collection of patent models
The Hagley Museum and Library houses the nation’s second-largest collection of patent models, many of which the public never gets to see.
For most, 41 years of service is more than enough. For State Librarian Annie Norman, though, even retirement can’t slow her down.
“The work is never done; there’s always something to do,” she said. “I’m going to have to continue to help in other ways.”
Norman will step away this fall after 24 years as the Delaware state librarian and director of the Delaware Division of Libraries.
Throughout her tenure, Norman made waves; the director helped create the Delaware Library Consortium, which allowed all of Delaware’s Public libraries to share items, and brought the library system along during a wave of technological change. For these achievements, she was named to the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame in 2016 and appointed by President Joe Biden as a member of the National Museum and Library Services Board.
We spoke with Norman as she wraps up an accomplished career about her proudest achievements, and the state of libraries in 2026.
Question: As you look back on your tenure, what was your proudest accomplishment?
Answer: What I’ll be known for more than anything is probably the statewide library catalog and consortium. The politics of bringing all of those libraries together, after years of there being four separate library catalogs in Delaware, took about eight years. More recently, I think bringing the school libraries into that catalog is going to be really significant. We’ve got more than 50 school libraries to be a part of the statewide catalog, something we think can really help with the literacy crisis in this state.
One of the biggest challenges of your tenure was adjusting to the large wave of technology that came about. How have you and the Delaware libraries handled it?
It’s been very systematic. We have a great IT team that helps manage for us, as well as the state funding 100% of library technologies. The growth of the iPhone has certainly had a huge impact on literacy, but we’re really just working hard to bring back the excitement of reading.
The Delaware libraries’ programming have always been a popular resource. How important do you view these offerings to local communities, and will they continue to expand?
Yes, libraries are about enrichment, which means helping support people in things like entrepreneurship, education and innovation. We’ve had libraries start up job centers, which were so successful we could expand to entrepreneurship, and even help with more basic social needs, by starting a “social innovation team” to help with more of the social services-type work.
Where we still struggle is we can only help people access Delaware systems to help with their needs, not fix things within those systems. For that reason, we always encourage these systems to work with us, so the Delaware library system can fit everyone’s needs.
Cuts toward libraries just occurred in New Castle County, with the potential for more to come. How will the library system look to stay afloat?
Because of the economy, because of federal changes, things can get difficult, it’s not the first time we’ve experienced budget cuts. We’ve progressed significantly over the years, but there is much more work to do, and I don’t know that the public understands how critical libraries and librarians are to literacy.
The power of walking into a library and being able to choose what you want to read for a child is powerful, and until people understand that, we can’t achieve our literacy goals.
Adam Denn is an intern reporter for Delaware Online/The News Journal. You can reach him at apdenn@delawareonline.com.
Inspiration
Do you have a suggestion for our Inspiration page? E-mail Tammy Paolino at tpaolino@usatodayco.com
DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio — People in Delaware County said it feels like new housing developments are popping up on every corner.
WSYX
“What haven’t you noticed, right? The whole area just exploded,” said Scott Shonebarger.
Scott Sanders, the executive director of the Regional Planning Commission, said companies like Intel and other industries are a main driver for thousands of people moving to Delaware County.
With the big boom comes an urgent need for more housing.
John Wicks is the developer at Real Property Design and Development.
He has spent over a decade building homes for families in Delaware County.
Wicks said the Olentangy School District is one of the hottest spots for new homes.
“I started with one high school up until the 90s, then now we’re up to four up to five different high schools so it’s just a big draw,” said Wicks. “It’s a beautiful community.”
The district has grown into the fourth largest in Ohio with a new elementary school opening next year, and a fifth high school in 2028.
Wicks said the growth has presented some challenges over the years like labor shortage and some opposition.
“It’s become a big issue for a lot of people that live in and around these areas. They tend to oppose new growth and new development, so restrictions have gotten a little bit harder. Costs have obviously gone up over the last 20 years,” said Wicks.
The planning commission says between 275,000 and 350,000 people could call Delaware County home by 2040.
That’s up from 214,000 in 2020.
Scott Shonebarger said he supports growth but wonders when is enough.
“I mean to a certain extent I think you know at some point right you have to have some sort of boundaries I think, getting into the fact that now you have five high schools,” said Shonebarger. “What’s the limit?”
Police in Wilmington, Delaware, shot and killed a 19-year-old man Wednesday night.
The incident happened in a residential area near 24th and Jessup streets just after 11 p.m., Wilmington police said in a news release. The person who was shot has not been publicly identified.
Officers were monitoring a large crowd gathered outside when they saw a man exit a home with a handgun and point it toward the crowd, police say.
When officers approached the man, he ran away and a foot pursuit began, police say.
At some point in the chase, an officer fired their weapon and hit the 19-year-old. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
Police say they recovered a loaded gun from the man and that the officer was not injured.
Video filmed at the scene shows a crowd of residents gathered outside after the shooting.
Police are asking anyone with more information to come forward. The shooting is under investigation by the Delaware Department of Justice and Wilmington police.
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