New access road to improve Dartmouth Drive traffic

The busy intersection at Dartmouth Drive and Route 1 has been congested for years, but the soon-to-be-open Lefty’s Alley and Eats has spurred a proposal that may improve traffic flow: a new entrance and exit just south of Wawa on southbound Route 1.

When this project is complete, said Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth, customers from Lefty’s and Wawa will have a route to exit right, straight onto Route 1. The new driveway will provide relief for residents of Rolling Meadows, Schwartzkopf said, addressing constituent concerns from the neighborhood immediately behind Wawa.

“It’s a failing intersection, and we’re trying to make it a little better for everybody,” he said.

Todd Sammons, DelDOT subdivision engineer, said plans call for a shared private driveway to Lefty’s, Wawa and any future development on Delmarva Power’s parcel of land immediately south of the proposed driveway. Sammons said the driveway would have two 12-foot-wide travel lanes – one an entrance from Route 1 southbound; one a right-turn-only exit back onto Route 1 southbound.

Sammons has been acting as the liaison between the interested parties. He said it’s unusual when a group of private businesses come together on a project like this.

“Kudos to all involved,” he said. “This really is going to be a positive.”

DJ Hill, principal owner of Lefty’s, confirmed the proposed entrance/exit. The 35,000-square-foot entertainment venue is expected to open in December and will feature 16 bowling lanes; a state-of-the art arcade; a 4,000-square-foot, two-story laser tag arena; and a 110-seat restaurant and bar and banquet options.

Delmarva Power purchased the 1.62-acre vacant lot where the driveway will be constructed in late 2015.

Lefty’s may have created the need for this driveway, but concerns about the Dartmouth Drive intersection traffic are not new.

Bill Brockenbrough, DelDOT county coordinator for the division of planning, was able to provide statistics for the intersection’s traffic volume dating back to 2004. DelDOT would only do a study if someone has raised questions about it, he said.

The three most recent traffic counts – 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, July 13, 2013; 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 14, 2015; and 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015 – show an average of 5,825 cars moving through the intersection during peak travel hours.

At these rates, Brockenbrough said, a car might wait for several lights cycles to move through the intersection.

Schwartzkopf and Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, said they have been working with the businesses, DelDOT and county officials.

Schwartzkopf said he approached former DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt several years ago with the idea of just getting a southbound exit for Wawa traffic. At first it was absolutely no way, then no, and then maybe, he said.

The two legislators said they have committed to using a portion of their Community Transportation Funds to help pay for the project. In Fiscal Year 2016, each of the state’s legislators received $260,000 to spend on local transportation infrastructure.

Lopez said he doesn’t know a specific amount, but he was prepared to set aside a considerable portion of the fund to help. Alleviating the bottleneck at the Dartmouth Drive intersection is one of three top transportation projects in the district, he said, the other two being Five Points near Lewes at Route 1 and Route 9 and the Route 5 and Route 9 intersection in Harbeson.

Schwartzkopf said the funds would be used for curb cuts off Route 1 and for parts of the new entrance that fall in the state’s right of way, but the rest of the project would be paid for by the businesses.

Before coming to fruition, the proposal must obtain county approval.