Preliminary work on a 1.1-mile extension of a Wilmington boulevard began 25 years ago.
According to an article in the May 4, 2000, Wilmington Morning Star, the new stretch of Independence Boulevard had it going north from Oleander Drive through a mostly wooded section on Empie Park and along some neighborhoods before an intersection with Randall Parkway.
To help alleviate noise in the neighborhoods, concrete walls were made part of the four-lane project. Some homes, however, were demolished, and a school was relocated…