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Nassau intersection needs help

July 28, 2016

There have been lots of improvements along Route 1 in the Lewes-to-Dewey corridor over the past 15 years.

With extra lanes, more pedestrian and bicycling crosswalks, intersection lighting and continuous sidewalks, the Cape Region's main street is a far friendlier and safer place than it used to be. Add to that the landscaping and trees contributed by many property owners, and the attractiveness of the gateway to the beaches is also more pleasing.

Now serious attention has to be focused and held steady on the Five Points intersection and, more immediately problematic, the intersection at the southbound foot of the Nassau overpass.

This summer, survey crews working for a large-scale Baltimore transportation consulting firm have been taking a look at all the traffic patterns leading to the busy Five Points area. DelDOT contracted with the firm to propose long-term fixes. That solution will take lots of years and lots of money.

While those crews have been working, the number of crashes continues to mount up at the Nassau intersection.

Confusing turning lanes, stop-and-go patterns that change by the hour, drivers coming down the bridge at deceivingly fast speeds, and impatience all add up to lots of work for first responders, police officers and insurance adjusters.

The speed limit starting about Nassau bridge is 45 miles per hour. That's a reasonable speed. But let's face it: fines from a speed camera on the southbound side of the bridge set to only register those exceeding 60 would go a long way toward helping the state balance its budget each year. Not that we want to fatten our coffers off unsuspecting visitors, but we do want them to slow down and arrive safely so they can enjoy all the beaches have to offer.

A large sign about a mile west of the Nassau overpass welcoming visitors and signaling lower speeds ahead would be a good step toward reducing some of the problem factors for the intersection east of the bridge. But the longer-term solution will have to involve signaling to remove the guesswork leading to the weekly crashes.

 

  • Editorials are considered and written by Cape Gazette Editorial Board members, including Publisher Chris Rausch, Editor Jen Ellingsworth, News Editor Nick Roth and reporters Ron MacArthur and Chris Flood. 

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