Delaware Department of Transportation officials held a press conference Tuesday to announce that the Route 141 improvement project, originally slated for completion in 18 months when it began in 1978, has entered its 47th year and might be "getting close to done, maybe."
"We're really excited about the progress," explained DelDOT spokesperson Jennifer Walsh while standing next to orange traffic cones that have achieved historical landmark status. "When we started this project, Jimmy Carter was president. Now, several presidents later, we're confident we're maybe 60-70% complete. Possibly."
The original project, budgeted at $3.2 million to widen a half-mile stretch of highway, has ballooned to a $847 million undertaking that now encompasses approximately 47% of northern Delaware and involves construction methods that didn't exist when the project began.
Local resident Michael Thompson, 46, has spent his entire life commuting on Route 141. "I was born during this construction project," he noted. "My parents met in traffic here. I learned to drive in these lanes. My children are now learning to drive here. This orange cone witnessed my entire life."
According to a recent traffic study, the average Wilmington resident now spends 847 hours per year sitting in Route 141 traffic—enough time to complete medical school, learn fluent Mandarin, or watch the entire run of "The Sopranos" 6.7 times.
"Some people say it's excessive," countered DelDOT project manager Dave Henderson, who has been working on Route 141 since 1991. "I say it builds character. Also, we've created thousands of jobs. Long-term jobs. Very long-term jobs."
The project has outlasted four Delaware governors, 312 construction foremen, and approximately 90,000 traffic cones. One section of temporary barriers has been in place so long that it's now protected as a historic structure under state preservation laws.
Recent archaeological surveys discovered that some of the original equipment abandoned at the site has become habitat for a previously undiscovered species of bird, which conservationists have named the "Delaware Orange Cone Warbler."
"We can't finish now," explained environmental consultant Dr. Patricia Moore. "These birds have adapted to thrive in permanent construction zones. Completing the project could devastate their population."
DelDOT has announced that pending further environmental studies, successful negotiation with 47 different contractors, and the resolution of several ongoing lawsuits, the Route 141 project should reach completion sometime between 2027 and 2157.
"Give or take," Walsh added.
When asked why the project has taken nearly five decades, Walsh explained that "unforeseen challenges" including budget constraints, weather delays, and "the fact that we keep finding more stuff that needs to be fixed" have extended the timeline.
"Also, honestly, we forgot what we were originally trying to do," she admitted. "The paperwork from 1978 is gone. We're just kind of winging it at this point."
Local businesses along Route 141 have adapted to the permanent construction. Several restaurants have begun offering "Traffic Menu" specials, and one enterprising car wash has opened a "Monthly Membership for People Stuck on Route 141" that includes daily washes since customers pass by so frequently.
As of press time, DelDOT was breaking ground on a new Route 141 improvement project, scheduled for 18 months, that will definitely not take 47 years, officials promise.