As I watched the construction of the southbound Route 1 bridge over Route 16, I wondered what DelDOT planned to do to protect drivers trying to turn left across Route 1 onto roads farther south. The answer clearly is ... nothing.
They put up some "Caution dangerous intersection" signs just before Cave Neck Road and lengthened the left-turn lane on northbound Route 1 for the traffic that will build up. That is not a fix.
On the afternoon of May 1, as I was driving south on Route 1, I counted at least a dozen cars and three school buses waiting in the turn lane to get onto Cave Neck Road. There were a few other school buses coming up toward the turn lane as well. I'm sure the left lane was soon blocked. On May 4, I had to turn left onto Cave Neck Road at noon. It was a rainy Sunday during the off-season, and I had to wait quite a while before there was enough of a break in traffic to go. It was barely enough.
How many accidents, injuries or deaths is it going to take before something is done to make it safe for people to turn? Not having a stoplight may be lovely for those heading south to the beaches, but it's a nightmare for residents, businesses, bus drivers, anyone trying to get somewhere else.
DelDOT should have created the turn solution before making the problem worse.