The 2024 Annual Churchman’s Crossing Monitoring Report provides a summary of transportation and land use conditions and changes in the Churchman’s Crossing project area, including how the recommendations of the 2022 Churchman’s Crossing Plan Update are being implemented. 

This report uses an interactive online format that allows users to explore and understand the data in greater detail than would be possible with a static, printed report. The report is a “living document” that evolves over time, as conditions change. Additionally, the online format provides an interactive way to monitor and compare conditions over time as a monitoring report is developed each subsequent year. The 2024 report updates and builds upon information provided in the previous monitoring reports, which started in 2022. 

The Churchman’s Crossing Monitoring Committee (CXMC) was formed in 2022 to guide, fulfill and advocate for the recommendations of the 2022 Churchman's Crossing Plan Update. Additionally, the CXMC has the opportunity to share new ideas which will be reviewed by the project partners for possible inclusion in a plan addendum. During the 2024-2025 cycle, the CXMC met twice and held a Public Workshop. 

The 2024-2025 CXMC meetings were held on December 10, 2024, and March 19, 2025. The public workshop was held on May 20, 2025. All meeting materials and recordings can be found on the website here.  

As part of the CXMC framework, the committee is charged with identifying transportation/land use opportunities and challenges in the Churchman's Crossing project area. These opportunities and challenges may be added to the Churchman's Crossing Plan Update as and addendum. WILMAPCO, DelDOT, NCC DLU, and DTC review feedback from the Committee, as well as comments provided at the public workshop, to determine which new initiatives, if any, will be added to the Plan Update as an addendum. 

At the Winter 2025 meeting, a member of the committee identified queuing concerns along SR 273 eastbound approaching Harmony Road and along the southbound I-95 to westbound SR 273 ramp. The DelDOT Transportation Management Center is exploring signal timing improvements to address the queuing concerns brought forth at the meeting.

As discussed in previous newsletters, Spotlight Topics were introduced to the CXMC meetings to help achieve the primary goal of the CXMC – to advance the Churchman’s Crossing Plan Update recommendations. Spotlight Topics highlight specific recommended projects to take a deeper dive into recommendations that were identified as priorities by the CXMC. The Spotlight Topics also help provide committee members with information that they can share with their communities.   

The Fall 2024 CXMC meeting featured a Spotlight Topic on the continuing bicycle/pedestrian improvements effort in the Churchman’s Crossing area. The Winter 2025 CXMC meeting featured two Spotlight Topics: the Churchman's Crossing Transportation Improvement District (TID) and the Salem Church Road Corridor Planning Study. 

Bicycle/Pedestrian Improvements Follow Up

Recommendations to provide pedestrian/bicycle improvements along existing roads and connections serving existing communities were included in the Churchman’s Crossing Plan Update and prioritized by the CXMC. However, specific improvements and connections were not identified in the Plan Update. Input from the CXMC and the public were used by the technical team to continue analyzing potential network improvements. During the Fall 2024 meeting, the technical team presented how pedestrian/bicycle improvement projects were further ranked in Summer 2024 using the DelDOT Bicycle Mobility Tool.  Next steps to continue advancing the bicycle/pedestrian improvements include developing and quantifying the benefit of combining projects into different multi-project scenarios, performing cost benefit analyses, and identifying which projects will best increase low-stress access to community centers, employment centers, parks, schools, and transit. 

Churchman's Crossing TID

The Churchman's Crossing TID Spotlight Topic gave an overview of TIDs including what they are, how they differ from a Traffic Impact Study (TIS), what they mean for property owners, and why a TID is being considered for the Churchman's Crossing area. Key elements for the Churchman's Crossing TID were presented, including the boundary, the horizon year, parcel-specific forecast, service standards and measurement, transportation improvements, developer/public sector funding sources, and economic analysis. Other key elements under consideration discussed included TID developer agreements and monitoring/refinement. 

Salem Church Road Corridor Planning Study 

The Salem Church Road Corridor Planning Study Spotlight Topic gave an overview of the active DelDOT study, which is a planning-level corridor study of Salem Church Road from SR 4 to Old Baltimore Pike. The objectives of the study are to address complete streets and vulnerable road user safety, enhance circulation, and overall corridor feel and function along Salem Church Road. Stakeholder feedback, corridor vision and objectives, and draft recommendations were presented as part of the Spotlight Topic. For more information, visit the study website here.  

The Project Partners and CXMC held a public workshop for the Churchman’s Crossing area on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 from 4 – 6 PM at the DelDOT Canal District Office. The purpose of the workshop was to:  

Informational display boards that were presented at the public workshop can be viewed here. Any written comments provided at the public workshop can be found in the 2024 Annual Churchman’s Crossing Monitoring Report. 

The DelDOT Projects Portal map shows active projects in and around the Churchman’s Crossing area, and includes additional information about the planning, design, and construction of each project. Use the Project Portal map to view any active projects or select the links below to go directly to a specific project’s webpage.

Kirkwood Highway forms the northern border of the Churchman’s Crossing project area and is a critical transportation corridor in this area of New Castle County.  

In 2023 the project partners (New Castle County, DelDOT, DTC, and WILMAPCO) initiated the development of the Kirkwood Highway Land Use and Transportation Plan. The Plan addresses near-term and long-range solutions and policies with an emphasis on strengthening alternative travel modes and options, travel demand management, integration of coordinated multi-modal transportation and land use planning, and promoting more sustainable patterns of development, while maintaining and enhancing existing neighborhood vitality. 

A public workshop was held on February 24, 2025, to present the final recommendations for the Plan. Meeting materials from the workshop, including the informational display boards and presentation recording, can be found on the project website here.   

The Kirkwood Highway Land Use and Transportation Plan draft report is currently under review by WILMAPCO. The draft report is scheduled to be presented to the WILMAPCO Council at their July 10, 2025, meeting. If endorsed by the Council, the final report would then be published on the project website. Visit the project website to view previous meeting materials and sign up for the Kirkwood Highway Master Plan email list to receive project updates.