The portion of route east of DE 14 (present-day DE 1) was paved by 1942. In 2019, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) began the Coastal Corridors Study to study east-west traffic patterns on roads in northern Sussex County including DE 16. The study is intended to develop long-term road improvements along the corridor.
By 1942, the eastern section of DE 14 (now DE 1) had been paved. In 2019, DelDOT initiated a study on east-west traffic patterns in northern Sussex County's roads, including DE 16. The goal is to plan long-term road improvements along this corridor.