Delaware Roads - DE 48

DE 48



Old font with cut-corner 4, westbound at the end of DE 48.


Somewhat older, this is an original 1963 shield to I-95 through Wilmington. It is found at DE 2, and if you have read that page anytime recently, this is the hint I refer to. Let's just say old signs rarely occur alone. Click for a closeup without any image adjustment (these were taken into the sun, but one came out better).


Skipping the very short DE 2/48 westbound-only duplex, these are on 2nd Street (DE 48 WB). The eastbound side remains on Lancaster Avenue (which would be 1st Street), but DE 48 must form a one-way pair to make it to US 13 Business.


Again westbound, this isn't button copy, but at least it's old, also dating to the opening of I-95 in 1963 (says Alex Nitzman).


Still WB, the beginning of DE 4/Maryland Ave. is one block over at Lancaster Ave. (which I'm sure was originally both directions of 48). The shield assembly directs traffic onto Monroe Street; the last block or two of official/original DE 4 is one-way now. Union St. is DE 2 SB, and judging from its width compared to the northbound pair of Lincoln St., it was originally both directions of 2. I would bet it would be more helpful, not to mention less peely, to use a 2 shield instead.


DE 48 doesn't quite end at this NJ-style sign, though when this was just plain US 13 I bet it did (at least since the New Jersey ferry closed) - I also bet both directions of original 13 used Market Street, whereas now due to the alignment of the Brandywine River bridge, Business 13 SB uses King St., one block over. Because the northbound side of Business 13 is two more blocks over on Walnut St., DE 48 gets an extended lease on life, in fact ending at itself where Walnut St. meets 2nd St.

Onto DE 41
Onto DE 2
Onto I-95
Onto DE 4
Onto US 13 Business
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