Urban Park Over I-95 in Wilmington
May 20, 2021
A national park on top of I-95 would reconnect neighborhoods that were divided by the highway more than half a century ago.
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Wilmington is joining a number of cities exploring ways of reconnecting neighborhoods and providing new public spaces by creating “caps” over highways.
Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) is leading the effort to study the feasibility of “capping” one or more sections of I-95 between the Delaware Avenue and the 6th Street Bridges in the City of Wilmington.
Help to envision what these new public spaces could be used for on Wednesday, November 17 from 6-7:30pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1108 N Adams St, Wilmington.
The Feasibility Study will result in a concept(s) for a cap over I-95, including potential uses such as new public spaces or transportation facilities, as well as a cap structure that can support the preferred uses.
The concept(s) will have been vetted with the community and stakeholders through an intensive public outreach process.
The final report will detail all aspects of the study, including bicycle, pedestrian and transit access to the new space from the adjacent neighborhoods. The report will also include the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) documentation needed for the project to be eligible for local, state, and federal funding. – WILMAPCO
The construction of I-95 through Wilmington resulted in the destruction of 360-370 homes between Adams and Jackson Streets, primarily impacting communities of color. The ramps to downtown were constructed as a compromise to try bringing economic development to the downtown and Riverfront to offset the loss of this neighborhood. Construction of I-95 effectively created a wall between the West Side neighborhood and the downtown area separating neighborhoods. This also substantially increased traffic on parts of Adams and Jackson Streets, which now serve as busy service roads for the I-95 ramps instead of quiet neighborhood streets.
To address this historic inequity created by I-95, Wilmington is now joining an ever-growing number of cities that are exploring ways to reconnect neighborhoods and provide new public spaces by creating caps over urban highways. These new lands are being used to create green spaces, plazas and cultural amenities that can reconnect neighborhoods and encourage residents to walk and bike more in the adjacent communities. – WILMAPCO
To learn more about the study and the Advisory Committee, visit WILMAPCO’s website.
"What we could ultimately do is bring communities together that were divided by I-95 running right through the city of Wilmington prior to many of us being born,"
A national park on top of I-95 would reconnect neighborhoods that were divided by the highway more than half a century ago.
About Delaware Greenways:
We envision a State where trails, pathways and scenic corridors connect everyone to where they want to go, empowering them to live healthier lives as they discover and enjoy the outdoors.