Ever since Rt 1 opened … I have dreamed of this day when more than a single lane would carry traffic from northbound SR 1 onto 95…..

It has now been a week and here is a list of problems needing immediate attention.

1) It is very difficult and dangerous to enter northbound SR 1 from the 273 exit off of Christiana-Hare’s Corner Road, then cross two lanes of fast moving traffic within a tenth of a mile, to head north onto 95.

2) This weekend North -7 was jammed by people used to getting in the right lane to make a right exit. That access is blocked and those people had to go through to Churchman’s Crossing, get off, go under Rt. 7, take the left and then enter northbound 95 off Southbound 7. Warning signs of New Traffic Patterns did not cut it. Something like ALL TRAFFIC FOR 95 NORTH GET IN LEFT LANE RIGHT NOW, would be appropriate.

3) Anyone leaving the mall from its south exits to go north, gets dropped on the through road underneath 95 with no access to northbound 95 Insufficient sign-age is available at those exit points, and most people used to going home a certain way, are suddenly surprised to be stuck in a traffic jam, of many similar very confused people. Then having to follow the above mentioned route to get out of it. NO ACCESS TO 95 WILMINGTON PHILADELPHIA OR NEW YORK would be the appropriate tone such a message should take at those exit points on the South end of the Christiana Mall. Another sign could direct them to the northbound side, where the exit north on 95 is open for business.

4) The left ramp dropping Northbound I 95 cars into the left lane of 95 is very dangerous. The narrow cattle shoot at the bottom of the ramp tends to slow cars just as they enter the very high speed lane of north I 95. The cars enter at 65 mph or under and much of the traffic is moving in that lane at 80-90 mph. High speed drivers are used to hugging the left lane. As soon as the lane opens up, they pull over into the left lane, right behind a car doing 55-65 mph. If blocked on their right, a crash occurs…. This is the most dangerous part of the flyover project. Immediately portable signs should be warning northbound I 95 traffic that slow traffic WILL BE approaching from the left.

5) Which brings up this interesting conundrum. We need to rethink our concept that the fastest traffic must always be on the left. For to have slower traffic move to the right then move back to the left to take the Wilmington side of the 95-295 split, defeats the entire purpose of dropping the lane on the left side. Any vehicle, car, truck, whose maximum speed is 65 and is coming from SR 1 and heading to Wilmington, wants to stay in the left lane and follow it all the way to Wilmington.

On this stretch of highway, across Churchman’s Marsh, it makes sense for the high speed traffic to fly down the center. Signs on both the right and left, reminding motorists that slow traffic keeps to the right, keeps to the left, are in order here. Otherwise the tendency to run on the left at speeds well over the speed limit (but against which the State Police are powerless to contain), will send fast moving traffic straight into the backs of slow moving vehicles simply stuck taking the only way into Wilmington from Northbound SR 1 onto 95….

The answer is to warn northbound traffic on Interstate 95 that slow moving traffic will be entering both the left and right lanes, and that fast moving traffic needs to be in the center three lanes…..

Until then, taking the trip north into Wilmington is pretty scary ….. as you keep one eye in the rear view mirror on those fast moving cars coming up on your tail from behind….