DelDOT aims to fix Malfunction Junction

Anyone who’s left Lowe’s and tried get onto Route 9 knows it’s a problem to get through the unaffectionately named Malfunction Junction – the intersection of Plantation Road, Beaver Dam Road and Route 9. 

With limited space for motorists waiting to turn west on Route 9, the intersection often backs up. To make matters worse, Route 1 northbound traffic turning west onto Route 9 also stacks up at the nearby Five Points intersection, creating aggravation and gridlock at the two intersections. 

From 2014 to 2016, 36 crashes were reported at Malfunction Junction. Officials at the Department of Transportation recognize that’s a safety issue and have proposed several options to fix it. Those remedies were presented to the public at a Feb. 15 workshop at Cape Henlopen High School. Each takes advantage of a 13.4-acre parcel of open, state-owned land between Plantation Road and the Henlopen Landing residential community. The state has dedicated $20 million toward the project in its Capital Transportation Program. 

The first alternative would utilize the open tract to create a longer roadway between Route 9 and the junction of Plantation and Beaver Dam roads.  A new traffic light would be erected at the new intersection. This option calls for cutting off Salt Marsh Boulevard, which runs through the Henlopen Landing community, and ending it with a cul-de-sac. To the dismay of several Henlopen Landing residents, Salt Marsh Boulevard is often used as a shortcut for drivers looking to avoid Malfunction Junction.

The second alternative would use the same open parcel to add a roundabout in lieu of a traffic light, with roads connecting in each direction, including a smaller access road to Salt Marsh Boulevard. The existing access to Beaver Dam from Salt Marsh Boulevard would be eliminated. 

“I had heard through discussion that [Henlopen Landing residents] had concerns about Salt Marsh Boulevard,” said DelDOT Project Manager John Caruano. “A couple of the options should help them out.” 

The third option would limit access to Malfunction Junction by only allowing Plantation Road motorists to the Route 9 traffic light. Beaver Dam Road traffic would use an improved Church Street to access Route 9. 

Each of the plans call for a road through the parking lot of Ace Hardware to the existing traffic light at Route 9, a shortcut many drivers already use. The land is privately owned, and Caruano is unsure if there is an easement in place for ingress and egress. He said the direct link to Malfunction Junction will ease problems.

“There are still some people who get off of Route 1 [at Five Points] that desire to get to Plantation,” he said.

Those drivers must merge with traffic on Route 9 and then immediately merge again into the turn lane for Plantation Road.

“A direct connection is best operationally,” Caruano said. “It would eliminate that weave condition.” 

DelDOT is also planning for intersection improvements on Route 9, including an extra turn lane for traffic turning onto Plantation Road – meaning there would be two left-turn lanes and one lane for through traffic. A new Route 9 entrance for Ace Hardware is also planned. 

Residents should not expect to see any of the proposed changes overnight. DelDOT says the design phase will run from 2018 to 2022, right-of-way acquisition from 2021 to 2023 and construction will occur from 2024 to 2026.

Also included in the plan are improvements along length of Plantation Road, from Malfunction Junction to Route 24. Caruano said the goal is to add sidewalk and bike lanes in the entire corridor as well as minor widening for new turn lanes. Much of the widening and sidewalk improvements will require DelDOT to acquire land.

Five Points meeting Feb. 26

The Five Points Working Group will meet at 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 26, at the Virden Retreat Center on the campus of the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment. The group will receive technical presentations and have small-group discussions about transportation needs. Public comment will be permitted at the end of the meeting.