{{Short description|State highway in New Castle County, Delaware, United States}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{good article}} {{Infobox road |state=DE |type=DE |route=3 |alternate_name= |map={{maplink-road}} |map_custom=yes |length_mi=6.15 |length_round=2 |length_ref=<ref name=DelDOT>{{cite web |author= Staff |title= Traffic Count and Mileage Report: Interstate, Delaware, and US Routes |publisher= Delaware Department of Transportation |year= 2018 |url= https://deldot.gov/Publications/manuals/traffic_counts/pdfs/2018/2018Interstate_USRoutes_DelawareRoutes.pdf?cache=1585496964656 |format= PDF |access-date= March 29, 2020}}</ref> |maint=DelDOT |established=1968<ref name="DE 1968 map"/> |direction_a=South |terminus_a={{jct|state=DE|I|495|US|13|road|Lighthouse Road / Hay Road}} in Edgemoor |junction={{plainlist| *{{jct|state=DE|US-Bus|13|dab1=Wilmington}} near Bellefonte *{{jct|state=DE|I|95}} near Bellefonte }} |direction_b=North |terminus_b={{jct|state=DE|DE|92}} in Hanbys Corner |counties=New Castle |previous_type=DE |previous_route=2 |next_type=DE |next_route=4 }}
'''Delaware Route 3''' ('''DE 3''') is a state highway northeast of the city of Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware. The route runs from Lighthouse Road/Hay Road just south of Interstate 495 (I-495) in Edgemoor north to DE 92 in Hanbys Corner. The route passes through the suburban areas of Brandywine Hundred, Bellefonte, and Arden. It intersects I-495 and U.S. Route 13 (US 13) in Edgemoor, US 13 Business (US 13 Bus.) in Bellefonte, and I-95 near Bellevue State Park. DE 3 was built as a state highway during the 1920s and 1930s. By 1968, the route was designated between US 13 (now US 13 Bus.) north to DE 92 on Marsh Road. The route was moved to its current alignment and terminus by 1984.
==Route description== thumb|left|DE 3 northbound at I-495 in Edgemoor DE 3 begins at an intersection with Lighthouse Road/Hay Road just south of an interchange with I-495 in an industrial section of Edgemoor, heading northwest on four-lane divided Edgemoor Road. After the I-495 interchange, the road passes over Norfolk Southern's Shellpot Secondary and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad lines before it intersects US 13 near businesses. Past this intersection, DE 3 enters a more residential area as a three-lane undivided road with two southbound lanes and one northbound lane. The route narrows to two lanes and turns west and north, coming to an intersection with US 13 Bus. At this point, Shipley Road heads north and DE 3 turns northeast to form a concurrency with US 13 Bus. on four-lane undivided Philadelphia Pike, running through residential and commercial areas. DE 3 splits from US 13 Bus. at the northwest edge of the town of Bellefonte by turning northwest onto Washington Street Extension, a four-lane divided highway. The route passes to the southwest of Mount Pleasant High School and turns north onto Marsh Road, a four-lane undivided road that forms the western boundary of Bellevue State Park. The road becomes a divided highway as it crosses Carr Road and comes to a diamond interchange with I-95, with the ramps to and from northbound I-95 connecting to Carr Road.<ref name="DE 2017 map "/><ref name="google"/>
thumb|right|DE 3 northbound in Arden Immediately after this interchange, DE 3 crosses under CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision railroad line and narrows into a two-lane undivided road that heads through suburban areas in Brandywine Hundred, running through residential neighborhoods and past a few businesses. The route gains a center left-turn lane between Wilson Road/Veale Road and Silverside Road. The road curves northeast and forms the western border of the village of Arden. DE 3 turns north again past the Grubb Road/Harvey Road intersection and leaves Arden as it runs between neighborhoods to the west and woodland to the east, ending at an intersection with DE 92 in Hanbys Corner. Marsh Road continues north past this intersection as an unnumbered road toward the Pennsylvania state line.<ref name="DE 2017 map">{{Delaware road map|year=2017|inset=Northern New Castle County|access-date=August 18, 2019}}</ref><ref name="google">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=hay+road+and+DE+3+edgemoor&daddr=39.7644,-75.51403+to:39.7701647,-75.5037166+to:DE+3+and+DE+92&geocode=FQKMXgId2e5_-ynt4hZ86OLGiTH_avl6Fu9BGg%3BFbDBXgIdUr9_-ykJU8boJ-PGiTE-IlJfFlbZDg%3BFTTYXgIdnOd_-ykxf9QMGOPGiTHjPqVkdrgYBQ%3BFRqlXwIdkiiA-yn3HRuH8-TGiTGTzxtbg02W3Q&hl=en&mra=ls&via=1,2&sll=39.766391,-75.526886&sspn=0.030084,0.084543&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12|title=overview of Delaware Route 3|access-date=February 5, 2011}}</ref>
DE 3 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 13,642 vehicles at the I-95 interchange to a low of 4,708 vehicles on Washington Street Extension.<ref name=DelDOT/>
==History== thumb|right|DE 3 northbound past Washington Street Extension near Wilmington What is now DE 3 existed as a county road by 1920.<ref name="DE 1920 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1920|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> Four years later, the road was upgraded to a state highway between Philadelphia Pike and Harvey Road.<ref name="DE 1924 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1924|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> The state highway was extended north to Naamans Road by 1931.<ref name="DE 1931 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1931|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> By 1968, DE 3 was designated to run from US 13 (now US 13 Bus.) north to DE 92 along Marsh Road.<ref name="DE 1968 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1968|inset=Northern New Castle County|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> DE 4 was extended onto the Washington Street Extension portion of present-day DE 3 three years later.<ref name="DE 1971 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1971|inset=Northern New Castle County|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> DE 4 was removed from Washington Street Extension by 1981.<ref name="DE 1981 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1981|inset=Northern New Castle County|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> Three years later, DE 3 was extended to I-495 in Edgemoor. At this time, DE 3 was realigned to follow Washington Street Extension from Marsh Road to a concurrency with US 13 Bus., heading southwest along that route before heading southeast along Edgemoor Road.<ref name="DE 1984 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1984|inset=Northern New Castle County|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref>
==Major intersections== {{Jcttop|length_ref=<ref name=DelDOT/>|state=DE|county=New Castle}} {{DEint |location=Edgemoor |lspan=3 |mile=0.00 |road={{jct|state=DE|road|Lighthouse Road / Hay Road|location1=Edgemoor Industrial Park}} |notes=Southern terminus }} {{DEint |mile= |road={{jct|state=DE|I|495}} |notes=Exits 4B-A on I-495 }} {{DEint |mile=0.23 |road={{jct|state=DE|US|13|name1=Governor Printz Boulevard}} |notes= }} {{DEint |type=concur |location=none |mile=1.22 |road={{jct|state=DE|US-Bus|13|dir1=south|dab1=Wilmington|name1=Philadelphia Pike}} |notes=Southern end of US 13 Bus. concurrency }} {{DEint |mile=2.01 |type=concur |location=none |road={{jct|state=DE|US-Bus|13|dir1=north|dab1=Wilmington|name1=Philadelphia Pike}} |notes=Northern end of US 13 Bus. concurrency }} {{DEint |mile=2.83 |location=none |road={{Jct|state=DE|I|95|city1=Wilmington|location2=Philadelphia}} |notes=Exit 9 on I-95 }} {{DEint |location=Hanbys Corner |mile=6.15 |road={{Jct|state=DE|DE|92|name1=Naamans Road|to2=to|I|95}} |notes=Northern terminus }} {{jctbtm|keys=concur}}
==See also== *{{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}} {{commons category}} * [https://www.aaroads.com/guides/de-003/ DE 3 at AARoads.com]
003 Category:Transportation in New Castle County, Delaware