View source for Delaware Route 12

{{Short description|State highway in Kent County, Delaware,  United States}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox road
|state=DE
|type=DE
|route=12
|alternate_name=
|map={{maplink-road}}
|map_custom=yes
|length_mi=16.35
|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=[[Delaware Department of Transportation|DelDOT]]
|established=1936<ref name="DE 1936 map"/>
|tourist=[[File:MUTCD M10-1.svg|20px|alt=|link=]] [[Delaware Bayshore Byway]]
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a={{jct|state=MD|MD|314}} in [[Whiteleysburg, Delaware|Whiteleysburg]]
|junction={{plainlist|
*{{jct|state=DE|US|13}} in [[Felton, Delaware|Felton]]
*{{jct|state=DE|DE|15}} near Felton
}}
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=DE|DE|1}} near [[Frederica, Delaware|Frederica]]
|counties=[[Kent County, Delaware|Kent]]
|previous_type=DE
|previous_route=11
|next_type=US
|next_route=13
}}
'''Delaware Route&nbsp;12''' ('''DE&nbsp;12''') is a state highway in [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent County]], [[Delaware]], [[United States]]. It runs from [[Maryland Route&nbsp;314]] (MD&nbsp;314) at the [[Maryland]] border in [[Whiteleysburg, Delaware|Whiteleysburg]] east to an interchange with [[Delaware Route 1|DE&nbsp;1]] near [[Frederica, Delaware|Frederica]]. The route follows a mostly rural alignment, passing through the towns of [[Felton, Delaware|Felton]] and Frederica. DE&nbsp;12 intersects [[U.S. Route 13 in Delaware|U.S. Route&nbsp;13]] (US&nbsp;13) in Felton and [[Delaware Route 15|DE&nbsp;15]] east of Felton. What would become DE&nbsp;12 was built as a state highway during the 1920s. DE&nbsp;12 was designated between Felton and Frederica by 1936 and extended west to the Maryland border by 1938. The eastern terminus was moved to its current location in 1965 when [[U.S. Route 113|US&nbsp;113]] (now DE&nbsp;1) was routed to bypass Frederica to the east. The DE&nbsp;1 intersection became an interchange in 2011.
==Route description==
[[File:DE 12 EB past US 13.jpeg|thumb|left|DE&nbsp;12 eastbound past US&nbsp;13 in Felton]]
DE&nbsp;12 begins at the [[Maryland]] border in the community of [[Whiteleysburg, Delaware|Whiteleysburg]], with the road continuing west into that state as [[Maryland Route 314|MD&nbsp;314]]. From the state line, the route heads southeast on two-lane undivided Whiteleysburg Road briefly before turning northeast onto Whites Lane. A short distance later, DE&nbsp;12 intersects Two State Road and becomes Burnite Mill Road. The road runs through farmland with some woods and homes, passing through the community of [[Hollandsville, Delaware|Hollandsville]]. The route intersects Sandtown Road before it curves east and enters the town of [[Felton, Delaware|Felton]]. At this point, DE&nbsp;12 becomes West Main Street and heads into residential areas, crossing the [[Delmarva Central Railroad]]'s Delmarva Subdivision line at-grade. The road name changes to East Main Street and it comes to an intersection with [[U.S. Route 13 in Delaware|US&nbsp;13]] near businesses on the eastern edge of Felton.<ref name="DE 2017 map">{{Delaware road map|year=2017|access-date=August 18, 2019}}</ref><ref name="google"/>
[[File:2022-07-17 12 40 56 View west along Delaware State Route 12 (Johnny Cake Landing Road) at Carpenter Bridge Road in Frederica, Kent County, Delaware.jpg|thumb|right|DE&nbsp;12 westbound west of Frederica]]
Upon leaving Felton, the route becomes Midstate Road and continues through agricultural areas with some woods and homes, passing to the north of the [[List of geographic centers of the United States|geographic center of Delaware]].  DE&nbsp;12 crosses [[Delaware Route 15|DE&nbsp;15]] and comes to a junction with Andrews Lake Road, where the name changes to Johnnycake Landing Road. The road passes through more rural areas before intersecting Carpenter Bridge Road and entering the town of [[Frederica, Delaware|Frederica]], where it becomes West Front Street and is lined with homes. In the eastern part of town, the route splits into the [[one-way pair]] of West David Street eastbound and West Front Street westbound. Upon crossing Market Street, the one-way pair becomes East David Street eastbound and East Front Street westbound. DE&nbsp;12 turns north onto two-way, two-lane undivided Frederica Road and passes through marshland, leaving Frederica upon crossing [[Spring Creek (Murderkill River tributary)|Spring Creek]], a tributary of the [[Murderkill River]]. DE&nbsp;12 continues to its eastern terminus at an interchange with [[Delaware Route 1|DE&nbsp;1]].<ref name="DE 2017 map"/><ref name="google">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=38.956832,+-75.732886&daddr=Delaware+1+and+Delaware+12&geocode=FSBvUgIdamh8-w%3BFZZYUwIdLIuA-yk5i1vrSJy4iTGg4k1UYVmdAA&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=38.956305,-75.731876&sspn=0.001794,0.005284&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11|title=overview of Delaware Route 12|access-date=August 20, 2010}}</ref>
The section of the route between Frederica Road and DE&nbsp;1 in Frederica is designated as part of the [[Delaware Bayshore Byway]], a [[Delaware Byway]] and [[National Scenic Byway]].<ref name=byway>{{cite web|url=https://www.deldot.gov/Programs/byways/index.shtml?dc=route9|title=Delaware Bayshore Byway|publisher=Delaware Department of Transportation|access-date=December 30, 2017}}</ref><ref name=nsbp2021>{{cite web|title=2021 Summary of Designated Byways|publisher=National Scenic Byways Program|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/scenic_byways/designations/2021_designated_byways.pdf|access-date=April 22, 2021}}</ref> DE&nbsp;12 has an [[annual average daily traffic]] count ranging from a high of 6,719&nbsp;vehicles at the eastern border of Felton to a low of 1,244&nbsp;vehicles at the Sandtown Road intersection.<ref name=DelDOT/>
==History==
What is now DE&nbsp;12 existed as an unimproved county road by 1920.<ref name="DE 1920 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1920|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> By 1924, the route was completed as a state highway between Hollandsville and Frederica and was proposed as a state highway between the Maryland border in Whiteleysburg and Hollandsville and within Frederica.<ref name="DE 1924 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1924|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> The entire road between Whiteleysburg and Frederica was built as a state highway a year later.<ref name="DE 1925 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1925|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> DE&nbsp;12 was designated to run from US&nbsp;13 in Felton east to [[U.S. Route 113|US&nbsp;113]] (now Frederica Road) in Frederica by 1936.<ref name="DE 1936 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1936|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> By 1938, DE&nbsp;12 was extended west to the Maryland border in Whiteleysburg.<ref name="DE 1938 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1938|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref>
In 1965, US&nbsp;113 was moved to a bypass to the east of Frederica, and DE&nbsp;12 was extended north on the former alignment of US&nbsp;113 to end at that route a short distance north of Frederica.<ref name="DE 1965 map">{{Delaware road map|year=1965|access-date=November 24, 2015}}</ref> In November&nbsp;2009, construction began for a grade-separated interchange at DE&nbsp;1 (which had replaced US&nbsp;113); the interchange was completed in June&nbsp;2011.<ref name=deldot2009>{{cite web|url=http://www.deldot.gov/public.ejs?command=PublicNewsDisplay&id=3556&month=11&year=2009|title=Construction to begin for Route 1, North Frederica Grade Separated Intersection|date=November 23, 2009|publisher=[[Delaware Department of Transportation]]|access-date=December 29, 2009}}</ref><ref name=deldot2011>{{cite web|url=http://www.deldot.gov/public.ejs?command=PublicNewsDisplay&id=4023&month=6&year=2011|title=TRAFFIC ALERT - Opening of Route 1, North Frederica Overpass|date=June 24, 2011|publisher=[[Delaware Department of Transportation]]|access-date=July 8, 2011}}</ref>
==Major intersections==
{{Jcttop|length_ref=<ref name=DelDOT/>|state=DE|county=Kent}}
{{DEint
|location=Whiteleysburg
|mile=0.00
|road={{jct|state=MD|MD|314|dir1=west|name1=Whiteleysburg Road|city1=Greensboro|city2=Bay Bridge}}
|notes=Maryland state line; western terminus
}}
{{DEint
|location=Felton
|mile=10.00
|road={{jct|state=DE|US|13|name1=South Dupont Highway|city1=Dover|city2=Harrington}}
|notes=
}}
{{DEint
|location=none
|mile=12.40
|road={{jct|state=DE|DE|15|name1=Canterbury Road|city1=Canterbury|city2=Milford}}
|notes=
}}
{{DEint
|location=Frederica
|mile=16.35
|road={{Jct|state=DE|DE|1|name1=Bay Road|city1=Dover|city2=Milford}}
|notes=DE&nbsp;1 exit&nbsp;86; eastern terminus
}}
{{jctbtm}}
==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==External links==
{{AttachedKML|display=title,inline}}
{{commons category}}
* [https://www.aaroads.com/guides/de-012/ DE&nbsp;12 at AARoads.com]
[[Category:State highways in Delaware|012]]
[[Category:Transportation in Kent County, Delaware]]