End of US highway 113

Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical road atlases, much of the info on this page is based on the research of Robert Droz; click here to view his site. Photo credits: Andy Field; JP Nasiatka; Steven Nelson; Alex Nitzman

Ever since the advent of US highways in 1926, the south end of US 113 has been in Pocomoke City MD. Originally US 13 went through town on Market Street. US 113 probably came in on Old Snow Hill Road, which becomes Linden Avenue and turns on 4th Street, ending at Market. US 13 and 113 are both on bypasses now. Shown below is the sign where US 113 (Worcester Highway) ends at its junction with US 13 (Ocean Highway):

Nelson, Sep. 2007

The shot below shows the south beginning of US 113 as seen from northbound US 13:

Nelson, Sep. 2007

For nearly 80 years, the north end of US 113 was in Dover DE. A couple bypasses have been built around the downtown area (first today's US 13, and later today's DE 1). But originally US 13 followed State Street through downtown. South of there, US 13 veered onto Governors Avenue and more or less joined its current alignment. But if you were to continue south on State, you would've been on the north beginning of US 113. The photo below is looking south on US 13, or Dupont Highway:

Field/Nitzman, Aug. 2007

Originally US 13 came in from the right on State, and continued straight ahead. To the left on State was the north beginning of US 113. Below we're on northbound US 13, which continued to the left on State...

Field/Nitzman, Aug. 2007

...but to the right on State was where US 113 originally began:

Field/Nitzman, Aug. 2007

The Dupont Hwy was built so that through traffic could avoid the downtown area. A new US 113 was built as well, branching off Dupont on Bay Road. The photo below is from southbound US 13, at the former north beginning of US 113:

Nitzman, Apr. 2004

That's Bay Road to the left. That shot was actually taken after the US 113 designation had officially been removed from here - I'm glad Alex got these photos before the signs were changed. Here's what that perspective looks like now:

Field/Nitzman, Aug. 2007

You can see the backside of that sign bridge in the photo below:

Nitzman, Apr. 2004

That sign is no longer there. However, the "End" sign just a little ways ahead might escape notice for quite some time...

Nitzman, Apr. 2004 (still there as of 2007)

...since it's missing its 113 shield, and is therefore so inconspicuous. The photo below shows how the first US 113 shield looked (on a sunny day!) as one headed south from its former north beginning in Dover:

Nitzman, 2000

In 2004 DelDoT successfully applied to have the US 113 designation truncated to Milford, in order to eliminate the US 113/DE 1 multiplex. The photo below was taken from southbound DE 1:

Field/Nitzman, Aug. 2007

To the right is now the official north beginning of US 113. The sign in the gore points to the right and says "SOUTH US 113", and across from there is a "Begin" assembly, shown close-up below:

Field/Nitzman, Aug. 2007