Delaware Route 71 - Route Description

Route Description

DE 71 heads to the northwest from US 13 on two-lane undivided Summit Bridge Road, passing through wooded areas with some homes. The road passes to the east of Townsend and interesects Pine Tree Road/Main Street near some businesses. Past Townsend, the route continues northwest into farmland, making a turn to the north. At the intersection with St. Anne's Church Road, Delaware Bicycle Route 1 (Bike Route 1) turns north to join DE 71. DE 71 enters areas of increasing residential development as it heads into the town of Middletown, where it becomes Broad Street. The road heads north through the town and intersects DE 299 (Main Street) in the commercial center of town. Here, Bike Route 1 turns west onto DE 299. From this point, the route passes more homes before passing near businesses. DE 71 crosses Norfolk Southern's Delmarva Secondary at-grade and intersects US 301 immediately after.

DE 71 heads north concurrent with US 301 on Summit Bridge Road, passing near some businesses and a housing development before leaving Middletown. The road runs a short distance to the west of the Norfolk Southern rail line as it continues farmland with some scattered residential and commercial development. In Mount Pleasant, DE 896 joins US 301/DE 71 from the east and the road widens from a two-lane undivided road to a four-lane, divided highway. The road passes a few businesses before heading between the Summit Airport to the west and housing developments to the east. US 301/DE 71/DE 896 heads to the northwest through farm fields before turning to the west and passing a residential subdivision to the south. In the unincorporated community of Summit Bridge, the road intersects the northern terminus of DE 15, where Bike Route 1 joins the road again. Past this intersection, US 301/DE 71/DE 896 turns north and crosses over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the Summit Bridge.

Past the Summit Bridge, the road passes through woods and passes under Chesapeake City Road near the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery. DE 71 splits from US 301/DE 896 and Bike Route 1 by heading to the southeast on two-lane undivided Red Lion Road. The road passes a mix of woods and homes as it becomes the southern boundary of Lums Pond State Park and turns east into woodland. The route turns northeast through more of the state park before entering into a mix of farmland and homes. DE 71 passes through the community of Kirkwood and crosses the Norfolk Southern Delmarva Secondary again, continuing into wooded areas of suburban residential development, crossing DE 72. The route continues northeast near a mix of farms and woods with some homes, crossing Norfolk Southern's Delaware City Secondary. From here, the road passes more suburban residences and reaches the community of Red Lion, where it crosses DE 7. The final stretch of DE 71 heads northeast past more housing subdivisions toward its northern terminus at US 13 in Tybouts Corner. This intersection is within an interchange between US 13 and DE 1, where DE 1 merges off US 13. Direct access is provided from southbound DE 1 to DE 71 just before the intersection with US 13.

DE 71 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 24,445 vehicles at the DE 896 intersection in Mount Pleasant to a low of 4,351 vehicles at the DE 7 intersection. The portion of DE 71 concurrent with US 301 is part of the National Highway System.