STATEWIDE OPEN-END CONTRACT FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES
DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

This project is an open-end agreement for Section 106 expertise and consulting services related to Delaware’s Transportation Enhancement Program. A.D. Marble & Company’s role has been to review, comment, and make recommendations on appropriate Section 106 coordination steps required for a variety of improvements across the state of Delaware. We have completed over ten work-order assignments across Kent, Sussex, and New Castle Counties and have established an excellent working relationship with the staff at DelDOT and the staff at the Delaware State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

The work orders executed under this open-end contract have included a variety of improvements within and adjacent to transportation corridors. This wide variety of projects has provided us with a strong knowledge of the cultural resources across the state and familiarity with research repositories in each region. In addition, the projects have allowed A.D. Marble & Company to develop relationships with key local and regional public officials who have provided the firm with important data used in our studies.

The enhancement projects include such items as paving, sidewalks, lighting, signage, planters, and other street furniture. A.D. Marble & Company conducted background research into the history and development of the area, gathering and analyzing historic map data, and accessing cultural resource reports and file information for the projects. Field visits were conducted to assess the presence or absence of historic districts, structures, objects, buildings, significant landscape features, and archaeological sites. The field investigations also involved photographing each historic resource, taking detailed notes, and presenting this overview information in project reports. Our firm has produced Section 106 recommendation documents, which present the results of the background research, reproduce the historic maps, and suggest what the impact of the proposed enhancements might be on significant cultural resources for each work-order.

The key to this successful contract has been the extensive coordination process undertaken between the project team, DelDOT, and the SHPO. Research has been efficiently undertaken by our local staff, who have an intimate knowledge of the state repositories (Delaware State Archives and others). They have accessed historic background information, survey file data, and located and reviewed previous Section 106 studies in or adjacent to the project areas. Our work under this contract has given us an excellent understanding of the pre-contact archaeological history of the state, as well as the historical development patterns that have influenced the cultural landscape.

Contact Information

Delaware Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 778
Dover, DE 19903

(302) 739-6119