Interstate 976 (I-976, signed as the South Beach Expressway, formerly signed as Westover Boulevard) is an interstate spur of Interstate 76 in
UD: Westover Islands. It was introduced in the v5.2 Christmas 2022 update, and officially runs from I-76 to Delaware Route 12 in South Beach. The route is one of two auxiliary routes of I-76 in the UDU, the other being I-476 in 
UD: Newark.
I-976 ranges from 4 lanes in rural areas to 6 lanes in Westover, and has 5-6 lanes near South Beach. On all the four lane sections, slower vehicles, such as semi-trucks and buses, must use the right lane because of steep grades and curves, hinted by the signage.
Its speed limit and relatively direct route proves as the fastest way to South Beach from Westover.
Overview
I-976 officially starts at I-76. However, Westover Boulevard serves as an extension of the interstate to US 40 and Tidewater Street. The interstate features a full interchange with I-76 and Westover Boulevard, with an additional on-ramp from Chestnut St. The freeway continues south towards the location of former Woodbury. Near the former terminus before the South Beach Expansion is a southbound off-ramp, signed for Seventh Street and Downtown Westover. I-976 continues south past Delaware Route 508, where a full interchange is featured on the south side, with southbound ramps connecting to Newark County Route 3. I-976 continues south as a 4 lane freeway divided by a grass median, passing under Ike's Mountain Road and over DE-34 and Piney Cove (Water) towards South Beach. It features a half-interchange with Delaware Route 5, crosses the Westover Island Sound, and ends at a roundabout with DE-12 in South Beach.
I-976 travels through rough terrain towards the southern tip of the main island with many curves and hills, hence the reason why the speed limit is 70 mph instead of 75 mph like on I-76.
Warning sign on I-76 in Cape Henlopen.
When lights are flashing on a sign on westbound I-76, trucks bound to the Port of Kensington or the South Beach Regional Airstrip from westbound I-76 are required to use I-976 and CR-3 to prevent heavy traffic on Chestnut Street in Westover or Kensington Road (DE 8) through Kensington. Truckers may opt to take DE-5 or DE-12 if headed to South Beach or Rodanthe. This requirement is noted on a warning sign on westbound I-76 just east of the interchange with DE-5/US 40.
History
When I-976 was first released, it ended at an intersection with DE-508 (former DE-8) and a small extension to CR-3 in southern Westover. There was a short bridge which was unused, hinting that the highway was unfinished and could be extended south.
A bug at the southern terminus of I-976 caused the traffic lights to not work, requiring players to treat it as an all way stop. It was later fixed on April 22, 2023, though it would stop working later on again caused by another bug therefore causing people to have to use it as a four-way stop sign again. This would later be fixed in late May 2023.
In early May 2023, there was an invisible barrier at the Sixth St bridge, preventing players from using I-976. This barrier was removed later that month.
On December 23, 2023, in the v5.4 Christmas Update (South Beach Expansion), I-976, along with Westover Island and Rodanthe Island, were extended south to the new location of South Beach. The former southern terminus of the interstate was remodeled into a full interchange, a new exit for 7th Street was added (southbound exit only), and numerous other interchanges were added along the route. The extension has been criticized by some as 'unnecessary', for lacking a good connection to the Port of Kensington, since truckers are still forced to use CR-3 to get there whenever the lights are flashing on the sign on westbound I-76. Signage for "Westover Boulevard" was also changed to "South Beach Expressway".
On June 15, 2024, in the v5.5.3 Piney Cove Expansion update, the new alignment of DE-5 was opened to the public. The update also included the addition of two new roads, DE-34 and Ike's Mountain Road, both of which cross or go under I-976. In November 2025, the game was updated to move the Westover Island Grand Prix race from I-976 to DE-5.
Speed Limit
| Speed (mph) | Speed (km/h) | Section | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 mph | 113 km/h | Entire freeway. | Be cautious of narrow and sharp turns. |
Exit list
Exits are listed north to south.
| Exit Number | Connecting Routes/Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | US 40 Westover Odessa Newark |
Northern terminus of the South Beach Expressway. |
| N/A | I-76 HBBT/Alan Island Nomtauk |
Northern terminus of I-976 signage. No access to I-76 when traveling south on Westover Blvd. |
| 1B | Seventh Street Downtown Westover |
Southbound exit only. No re-entry to I-976. Added in the v5.2 Christmas update. |
| 2 | DE-508 CR-3 Westover Kensington South Beach Regional Airstrip |
Formerly the unsigned southern terminus of I-976. Before the South Beach Expansion, this was a signalized intersection with DE 8 (now DE 508) and CR-3. The new southbound entrance and exit are at CR-3, and the northbound entrance and exit are at DE-508. |
| 5 | DE-5 Piney Cove |
Northbound exit and southbound entrance. |
| N/A | DE-12 Rodanthe South Beach |
Southern terminus at a roundabout with DE 12, allows motorists from southbound I-976 to make a u-turn onto northbound I-976 to access DE-5. |
Gallery
Trivia
- Although I-976 ends at I-76, Westover Blvd serves as a northern extension to US 40.
- Westover Blvd was resigned as "South Beach Expressway" in the v5.4 Christmas 2023 (South Beach Expansion) update.
- I-976 does not exist in real life; it only exists in the UDU.
- The barrier on I-976 was removed in an update, probably to make it more racing friendly (and accessible to trucks).
- It was later re-added for the extension of this highway.
- In May 2023, an invisible wall prevented players from driving on this interstate. It was located next to the Sixth Street bridge, and was a bug.
- This barrier was removed in late May, making it accessible again to all traffic needing to bypass Westover and Kensington.
- The interchange with I-76 is the known as the Hidden Cove Interchange, as some parts of the interchange cross Hidden Cove.
- As of the 2023 Christmas Update (South Beach Expansion), I-976 is the second shortest spur in UD, only behind I-476 with the other highway only being shorter due to it only going through a specific game and the interstate not being completed within one game.
- I-976 is the first interstate to be completed in a game as all the other interstates are also in other games (or aren't completed within that game) and the first auxiliary interstate to be completed in a game as well.