Delaware

[74/171FAN]

(For DE 896)  New Castle County - UPDATE--I-95/Rt 896 Interchange--Upcoming Closures

Zoar Road and Peterkins Road - T202404304 Public Workshop

[74/171FAN]

Zoar Road and Peterkins Road - T202404304 Public Workshop

TRAFFIC ALERT - Sussex County - Road Closure: Zoar Road at the RR Crossing between Bethesda Road and Governor Stockley Rd

[74/171FAN]

(For US 40)  New Castle County - DelDOT Announces Start of Route 40 Widening Project

[74/171FAN]

(For DE 141 and I-295)  TRAFFIC ALERT - New Castle County - A Nighttime Ramp Closure from SB Rt 141 onto NB I-295

[74/171FAN]

(For I-95, US 301, and DE 1)  Statewide - DelDOT Toll and Fee Increases Coming Soon to Support Infrastructure Investments

[Great Lakes Roads]

(For I-95, US 301, and DE 1)  Statewide - DelDOT Toll and Fee Increases Coming Soon to Support Infrastructure Investments

"I'll pay $5 just to drive through Delaware!"

-said by no one

[MASTERNC]

(For I-95, US 301, and DE 1)  Statewide - DelDOT Toll and Fee Increases Coming Soon to Support Infrastructure Investments

"I'll pay $5 just to drive through Delaware!"

-said by no one

Ironically, they just improved the shunpike at the north end of the tolls.  Without AET gantries (which would likely anger anyone working at UD or the tech campus), the incentive to exit before the tolls just increased.

[jeffandnicole]

(For I-95, US 301, and DE 1)  Statewide - DelDOT Toll and Fee Increases Coming Soon to Support Infrastructure Investments

"I'll pay $5 just to drive through Delaware!"

-said by no one

Ironically, they just improved the shunpike at the north end of the tolls.  Without AET gantries (which would likely anger anyone working at UD or the tech campus), the incentive to exit before the tolls just increased.

A lot of people live off this interchange also.

[74/171FAN]

(For I-95, US 301, and DE 1)  Statewide - DelDOT Toll and Fee Increases Coming Soon to Support Infrastructure Investments

"I'll pay $5 just to drive through Delaware!"

-said by no one

Ironically, they just improved the shunpike at the north end of the tolls.  Without AET gantries (which would likely anger anyone working at UD or the tech campus), the incentive to exit before the tolls just increased.

A lot of people live off this interchange also.

Actually DE 279 heading towards DE 4/DE 896 got an extra lane a few years ago as well.

[ixnay]

Here are links re this morning's wee hours accident on the Delaware-bound DelMemBr span...

https://www.drba.net/drba-police-investigating-bobtail-tractor-accident

https://www.coasttv.com/news/update-2-driver-presumed-dead-after-running-off-delaware-memorial-bridge/article_84ffd35e-2dc5-4210-b744-13324444f073.html

https://www.wdel.com/news/update-truck-cab-crashes-off-the-delaware-memorial-bridge-driver-presumed-dead/article_fa37f8f8-b99e-44ce-b163-85f32fe9d1a8.html

Apart from the obvious human interest angle, it appears the trailerless cab went through that low wall on the Delaware anchorage.  Is that span structurally compromised?

[Alex4897]

(For I-95, US 301, and DE 1)  Statewide - DelDOT Toll and Fee Increases Coming Soon to Support Infrastructure Investments

"I'll pay $5 just to drive through Delaware!"

-said by no one

Ironically, they just improved the shunpike at the north end of the tolls.  Without AET gantries (which would likely anger anyone working at UD or the tech campus), the incentive to exit before the tolls just increased.

A lot of people live off this interchange also.

Actually DE 279 heading towards DE 4/DE 896 got an extra lane a few years ago as well.

I live off these interchanges and travel along the shunpike route on a regular basis, the amount of shunpiking traffic is negligible now and will be negligible after the tolls go up. The vast majority of people that'll be "dodging" the tolls are locals who live in the immediate area and decide to enter the interstate from one interchange further away to avoid it. Long distance travelers like the ones who make up the bulk of people passing through the I-95 tolls are not nearly as willing to research ways to dodge the toll, then ignore their navigational apps and jump off the main highway to add 10+ minutes of traffic lights to their journey as people on this forum are.

Heck, the average driver on I-95 is more willing to sit in a completely avoidable 10+ minute backup just to cram into the two high speed EZ-Pass lanes than they are to dodge the traffic and use the cash / EZ-Pass lanes that you "stop" at, much less to even dare to exit the interstate.

NOW, that all being said, I'm very curious to see how the rate increases on SR 1 affect traffic on US 13 given the much higher rates for out-of-state tags. US 13 is a much more obvious alternative route to the average driver, and the Biddles Corner toll plaza especially is situated in such a way that the ramps around it almost encourage dodging it.

[vdeane]

Heck, the average driver on I-95 is more willing to sit in a completely avoidable 10+ minute backup just to cram into the two high speed EZ-Pass lanes than they are to dodge the traffic and use the cash / EZ-Pass lanes that you "stop" at, much less to even dare to exit the interstate.

Too bad they aren't using this project to go AET.

[Alex4897]

Heck, the average driver on I-95 is more willing to sit in a completely avoidable 10+ minute backup just to cram into the two high speed EZ-Pass lanes than they are to dodge the traffic and use the cash / EZ-Pass lanes that you "stop" at, much less to even dare to exit the interstate.

Too bad they aren't using this project to go AET.

Unfortunately they only just rebuilt the Newark toll plaza within the last decade-ish, right before the more widespread push for AET really took off with covid. I'd imagine its current layout will remain in place for some time, though they could do to at least sign EZ-Pass acceptance for the cash lanes rather than implying EZ-Pass users don't have a choice in which lanes they use.

[vdeane]

Heck, the average driver on I-95 is more willing to sit in a completely avoidable 10+ minute backup just to cram into the two high speed EZ-Pass lanes than they are to dodge the traffic and use the cash / EZ-Pass lanes that you "stop" at, much less to even dare to exit the interstate.

Too bad they aren't using this project to go AET.

Unfortunately they only just rebuilt the Newark toll plaza within the last decade-ish, right before the more widespread push for AET really took off with covid. I'd imagine its current layout will remain in place for some time, though they could do to at least sign EZ-Pass acceptance for the cash lanes rather than implying EZ-Pass users don't have a choice in which lanes they use.

They should have at least rebuilt it to have three ORT lanes each direction instead of just two.  Given how high E-ZPass utilization is on the Northeast Corridor, it's just common sense.  Maine did it (note that the new York toll barrier was under construction pre-covid).

[jeffandnicole]

Apart from the obvious human interest angle, it appears the trailerless cab went through that low wall on the Delaware anchorage.  Is that span structurally compromised?

Even just after the incident occurred, they only closed 1 lane.  The wall that was smashed thru was only a barrier wall, and wasn't used as part of the suspension portion of the bridge.  The bridge isn't compromised in any way, although I'm sure they'll take a look at what can be done to prevent this in the future, such as an additional angled barrier where this design exists on both bridges.

Heck, the average driver on I-95 is more willing to sit in a completely avoidable 10+ minute backup just to cram into the two high speed EZ-Pass lanes than they are to dodge the traffic and use the cash / EZ-Pass lanes that you "stop" at, much less to even dare to exit the interstate.

Too bad they aren't using this project to go AET.

Unfortunately they only just rebuilt the Newark toll plaza within the last decade-ish, right before the more widespread push for AET really took off with covid. I'd imagine its current layout will remain in place for some time, though they could do to at least sign EZ-Pass acceptance for the cash lanes rather than implying EZ-Pass users don't have a choice in which lanes they use.

They should have at least rebuilt it to have three ORT lanes each direction instead of just two.  Given how high E-ZPass utilization is on the Northeast Corridor, it's just common sense.  Maine did it (note that the new York toll barrier was under construction pre-covid).

They really can't, which is a byproduct of short-sightedness of the current design. 

The Express roadway is 2 lanes wide with shoulders. They could reduce the shoulders to a few feet on each side to add a 3rd lane, but then that puts traffic within a few feet of fairly tall jersey barriers in locations, along with the elimination of the breakdown lane.  There's also a slight curve, so that presents sight-distance issues.  The tolling location itself is constricted by the supports to the overhead equipment, which also allows maintenance personnel to work overheads without interfering with traffic below.  https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tqhu4XRfMTSrbPe59 .

I never cared for the current design.  On the SB side it appears to have been built to prevent traffic entering from Interchange 1 (which isn't much) to quickly merge over to the EZ Pass Express lanes.  It also separated slower traffic slowing down to pay cash, which could jam up, from mixing with the higher speed Express traffic on both sides of the highway. But, I think they greatly overexaggerated what needed to be done. I don't believe any other barrier interchange anywhere has such a long separation.

[vdeane]

They really can't, which is a byproduct of short-sightedness of the current design. 

The Express roadway is 2 lanes wide with shoulders. They could reduce the shoulders to a few feet on each side to add a 3rd lane, but then that puts traffic within a few feet of fairly tall jersey barriers in locations, along with the elimination of the breakdown lane.  There's also a slight curve, so that presents sight-distance issues.  The tolling location itself is constricted by the supports to the overhead equipment, which also allows maintenance personnel to work overheads without interfering with traffic below.  https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tqhu4XRfMTSrbPe59 .

Did they rebuild the plaza or not?  The solution would be to reconstruct the lanes and have only one lane go to the cash lanes.  Any toll authority that is building ORT infrastructure within the past ~20 years should have been doing so with the same number of lanes ORT as exist on the thru travel lanes.  They days of only some lanes being ORT with some defaulting to cash should have been over decades ago.  This was known pre-covid.  Delaware even built US 301 as AET!

[jeffandnicole]

They really can't, which is a byproduct of short-sightedness of the current design. 

The Express roadway is 2 lanes wide with shoulders. They could reduce the shoulders to a few feet on each side to add a 3rd lane, but then that puts traffic within a few feet of fairly tall jersey barriers in locations, along with the elimination of the breakdown lane.  There's also a slight curve, so that presents sight-distance issues.  The tolling location itself is constricted by the supports to the overhead equipment, which also allows maintenance personnel to work overheads without interfering with traffic below.  https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tqhu4XRfMTSrbPe59 .

Did they rebuild the plaza or not?

The original plaza spanned both the NB and SB lanes. 

DelDOT then built a satellite plaza for NB traffic about 700 feet north of the original plaza, which allowed some people to pay at the original plaza, and some to bypass that plaza and pay at the satellite plaza.

When DelDOT built the express lanes, they cut down the original plaza to 7 SB lanes only. The remainder of the plaza was demoed.  They then took the 5 lane satellite NB plaza, widening it to 7 lanes.  The 2 Express lanes per direction were then added into the middle of the highway, slightly weaving to get thru the NB and SB cash plazas.

The solution would be to reconstruct the lanes and have only one lane go to the cash lanes.  Any toll authority that is building ORT infrastructure within the past ~20 years should have been doing so with the same number of lanes ORT as exist on the thru travel lanes.  They days of only some lanes being ORT with some defaulting to cash should have been over decades ago.  This was known pre-covid.  Delaware even built US 301 as AET!

It's probably not an easy fix.  While in theory the jersey barrier separating cash/express lanes could be removed and rebuilt, the elevation of the roadway differs on either side of the barrier (especially SB) and there's drainage and other considerations.  It's not as simple as just putting up another barrier and doing a minor repaving. 

To make matters a little worse, DelDOT seems intent for the time being on encouraging EZ Pass traffic to fit into the 2 Express lanes.  Quite often when I go thru the plaza (yes, I don't always take a shunpike route), all the traditional lanes are set to Cash/EZ Pass or Closed.  If they would keep a few lanes as EZ Pass only, it would encourage regulars to know that they may be able to go thru lanes that are expected to not have cars stopping to pay. 

Compare it to the NJ Turnpike's Interchange 1.  It is 2 lanes currently in the area.  It's 2 Express lanes thru the plaza.  For the 14 standard lanes on the SB side, the 6 left lanes are set as EZ Pass Only Lanes, and all cash payments are made to the right of the plaza (and of that, only a portion of those lanes are generally kept open for cash payments). https://maps.app.goo.gl/QC9qyLXS6FqKX4cT8

[MASTERNC]

(For I-95, US 301, and DE 1)  Statewide - DelDOT Toll and Fee Increases Coming Soon to Support Infrastructure Investments

"I'll pay $5 just to drive through Delaware!"

-said by no one

Ironically, they just improved the shunpike at the north end of the tolls.  Without AET gantries (which would likely anger anyone working at UD or the tech campus), the incentive to exit before the tolls just increased.

A lot of people live off this interchange also.

Actually DE 279 heading towards DE 4/DE 896 got an extra lane a few years ago as well.

And the DE 4/DE 896 bridge is supposed to be widened in the coming years

[74/171FAN]

(For DE 10)  TRAFFIC ALERT - Kent County - Phase 2 of East Camden Bypass Project