:Delaware Route 12

File:DE 12 EB past US 13.jpeg

DE 12 begins at the Maryland border in the community of Whiteleysburg, with the road continuing west into that state as MD 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 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. The route intersects Sandtown Road before it curves east and enters the town of Felton. At this point, DE 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 US 13 near businesses on the eastern edge of Felton.{{Delaware road map|year=2017|access-date=August 18, 2019}}

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

Upon leaving Felton, the route becomes Midstate Road and continues through agricultural areas with some woods and homes, passing to the north of the geographic center of Delaware. DE 12 crosses DE 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, 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 12 turns north onto two-way, two-lane undivided Frederica Road and passes through marshland, leaving Frederica upon crossing Spring Creek, a tributary of the Murderkill River. DE 12 continues to its eastern terminus at an interchange with DE 1.{{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}}

The section of the route between Frederica Road and DE 1 in Frederica is designated as part of the Delaware Bayshore Byway, a Delaware Byway and National Scenic 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}}{{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}} DE 12 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 6,719 vehicles at the eastern border of Felton to a low of 1,244 vehicles at the Sandtown Road intersection.

What is now DE 12 existed as an unimproved county road by 1920.{{Delaware road map|year=1920|access-date=November 24, 2015}} 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.{{Delaware road map|year=1924|access-date=November 24, 2015}} The entire road between Whiteleysburg and Frederica was built as a state highway a year later.{{Delaware road map|year=1925|access-date=November 24, 2015}} DE 12 was designated to run from US 13 in Felton east to US 113 (now Frederica Road) in Frederica by 1936.{{Delaware road map|year=1936|access-date=November 24, 2015}} By 1938, DE 12 was extended west to the Maryland border in Whiteleysburg.{{Delaware road map|year=1938|access-date=November 24, 2015}}

In 1965, US 113 was moved to a bypass to the east of Frederica, and DE 12 was extended north on the former alignment of US 113 to end at that route a short distance north of Frederica.{{Delaware road map|year=1965|access-date=November 24, 2015}} In November 2009, construction began for a grade-separated interchange at DE 1 (which had replaced US 113); the interchange was completed in June 2011.{{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}}{{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}}

{{Jcttop|length_ref=|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 1 exit 86; eastern terminus

}}

{{jctbtm}}

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• [https://www.aaroads.com/guides/de-012/ DE 12 at AARoads.com]

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Category:Transportation in Kent County, Delaware