Fenwick Island’s Pedestrian Safety Gets Boost as Sidewalk Construction Kicks Off

Fenwick Island’s sidewalk construction project is finally underway! What’s often overlooked is that this project has been in the works for two decades; but now, by the time construction is complete, the town will be safe for pedestrians and will provide better access to a number of local businesses. Needless to say, this is a pleasant surprise for the residents of Fenwick Island who have been waiting for this project for so very long.

A-Del Construction has surprised everyone by starting work on the first phase of the sidewalk project much earlier than expected. This is great news for the community as it means that the project will be completed sooner than anticipated. Reports indicate that the contractor has already started working on the sidewalk in front of Warren’s Station restaurant – which is located at Indian Street and the construction crew will then move south towards Dagsboro Street in the coming weeks. And there is more good news and reason to keep hopes up; the crew is hoping for a best case scenario – which means that if the weather remains favorable and there are no major issues during the construction process one block per week should be easily completed. In other words, the project could be completed much sooner than originally anticipated. And there’s one more detail worthy of a mention; the crew will do their best to ensure that disruptions to local businesses and residents are very minimal.

If you think about it, a construction project like this requires some serious heavy equipment. That’s why the construction crew is using some of the best aftermarket skid steer tracks on the market. These tracks are designed to provide excellent traction and stability on even the most uneven terrain. With some planning involved, the crews can ensure that the sidewalks are level and safe for everyone to use.

What must be mentioned is that this sidewalk construction project was made possible through the efforts of former Mayor Vicki Carmean. She worked tirelessly to push the state to build sidewalks and when the state failed to do so, she obtained funding from Representative Ron Gray and the Sussex County Council. With more than $600,000 set aside officials say the town will be able to install sidewalks along five bayside blocks from Dagsboro to Indian streets.

Even though the sidewalk construction project has already begun this is only the first phase – believe it or not, there are more phases to come – the town is hoping to work with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) to install walkways along the remainder of Coastal Highway. Needless to say, this is a very exciting (and perhaps unexpected) undertaking but Mayor Natalie Magdeburger is quite confident that the town can achieve this goal. With a commitment from DelDOT’s lead engineer to fund engineering studies in the 2024 cycle the hope is that the town will be on the list for funding for the rest of the sidewalks in 2025 – with bids going out in May.

The Sidewalk Project in Fenwick Island is something that might make you wonder why it took so long to happen, but as the saying goes ‘Better late than never’.