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Interstate 495 north
In the last of a grandiose series of interchanges, Interstate 95 north arrives at its split with Interstate 495, whose southern terminus is here, just south of Wilmington, Delaware. I-495 has a northbound control city of Philadelphia as it is meant as a bypass of I-95 to the east of downtown Wilmington. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
At right enters a ramp from southbound Interstate 295, which takes the Delaware Memorial Bridge out of New Jersey, to northbound I-495. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The speed limit is 65 miles per hour, and the highway becomes concrete-surfaced. I-495 will parallel the Christina River to the south up to the first exit. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The Port of Wilmington at the confluence of the Christina and Delaware is two miles away; Philadelphia is in 30. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
I-495 is one of a number of U.S. highways dedicated as a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Distances to the next three exits are displayed in the median at left. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 1, leading to Wilmington's iteration of U.S. Route 13 Business (Walnut Street north/Market Street south), is a mile away. Every other ramp in this interchange, namely both southbound ramps and the northbound entrance ramp - leads to or from mainline US 13. This exit also leads to Wilmington's Amtrak and SEPTA train station. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
In the meantime, the Interstate crosses over the Jack A. Markell Trail, named for the 73rd Governor of Delaware from 2009 to 2017 and U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino since 2023. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The next three exits are displayed on the left side of the gantry displaying the half-mile notice for exit 1. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 1 is the first of several in a row leading to Wilmington's riverfront and downtown. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 1 is reached as stated by this overhead sign. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The Interstate crosses over mainline US 13 prior to the cloverleaf offramp from I-495 north. US 13's mainline and business components part ways feet north of this interchange. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The northbound offramp now leaves the highway. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Rogers Road crosses I-495 as the northbound carriageway receives the onramp from US 13 north. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 2 is another serving the riverfront and downtown. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 2 intersects Delaware Route 9A (Terminal Avenue) and is the exit most directly serving the Port of Wilmington; it is ¼ of a mile away. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 2 sits ahead. DE 9A is an alternate of mainline DE 9 looping through the port area, running toward the Delaware River and then back. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The exit 2 gore sign. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The Interstate then curves due north and approaches its crossing of the tidal Christina River. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
I-495 now begins crossing the Christina. The river rises in Franklin Township, Chester County in Pennsylvania some miles to the northwest. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 3, intersecting Twelfth Street, is in ¾ mile. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The bridge ends, and the speed limit is still 65. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 3 once again serves the riverfront and downtown. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
When the Interstate reaches exit 3, the street name is rendered numerically as 12th Street. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
However, on the street's bridge over the highway, it reverts to being rendered as Twelfth Street. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Within the interchange, I-495 crosses a marsh. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 4 is another serving the riverfront and downtown. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 4 intersects Delaware Route 3 (Edgemoor Road), also serves U.S. Route 13 (Governor Printz Boulevard), and the Edgemoor Industrial Park and Fox Point State Park situated along the west bank of the Delaware. The exit is in one mile. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Meanwhile, Claymont (I-495's north end) is 6 miles away; Chester, Pennsylvania is in 10, and center city Philadelphia in 25, the latter two via I-95 north. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The Interstate now crosses Shellpot Creek out of Wilmington city limits and into Edgemoor. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 4, now half a mile away, also broadly leads to attractions along the Brandywine River corridor. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
There is a bridge over a port freight line before the exit. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The northbound onramp from DE 3 enters at right, and there is then an I-495 shield. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The Interstate passes over DE 3, which leads due west to US 13 from the interchange. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 4 leaves the northbound carriageway now. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
After exit 4, I-495 crosses over Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which here also hosts a SEPTA regional rail line running to Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The Interstate curves slightly before receiving a ramp from northbound US 13. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Marked by more I-495 reassurance, the highway returns to being concrete-surfaced. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
US 13, I-495, Amtrak, and the Delaware River are now all running side-by-side. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The speed limit remains at 65. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The highway next crosses Stoney Run. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
For a brief period, the Interstate straightens out, and the railbed at right elevates slightly. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 5, intersecting US 13 (now Philadelphia Pike) and serving Claymont, is two miles away. This is I-495's final northbound exit. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
In the distance at far-right is the Commodore Barry Bridge (U.S. Route 322) between Chester, Pennsylvania and Logan Township, New Jersey. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Food options for exit 5 are displayed at right. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 5 is now a mile away, while a crossover for emergency vehicles sits in the median ahead. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The next two miles - essentially, I-495's remaining distance - contain some hazardous curves. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The highway's right lane is about to become the northbound offramp for exit 5. Through traffic is now bound for I-95 north toward Chester and Philadelphia. Exit 5 also includes access to SEPTA's Claymont station. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Just prior to exit 5, Myrtle Avenue crosses over the Interstate. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Exit 5 splits off just as I-495 begins curving wide left. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
US 13's crossing of I-495 is seen here. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
The northbound carriageway receives traffic from US 13, and then the Everett Avenue trail to Knollwood Park passes over the highway. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Northbound I-95's Pennsylvania welcome center is just over a mile north of here. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
There is one more I-495 shield a stone's throw from the highway's end. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Northbound traffic goes on to pass under I-95's northbound offramp (exit 11) to Delaware Route 92, Naamans Road. Photo taken 06-16-2024.
Traffic passes under DE 92, and I-495 then ends with traffic defaulting onto I-95, entering Pennsylvania soon afterward. Photo taken 06-16-2024.