DOVER, Del. - A temporary road closure will take place on East Loockerman Street in Dover as city officials study ways to address speeding and improve safety in a neighborhood where residents say cut-through traffic has become a growing problem.
The City of Dover will close the eastbound entrance to East Loockerman Street east of Route 13 with temporary barricades beginning July 15.
The closure follows a petition from neighborhood residents and a City Council motion directing staff to evaluate traffic-calming options. City officials say the road has become a popular shortcut for drivers traveling to Route 8 and the on-ramp to Route 1.
"There has been some constituent outcry about the potential speeding and safety hazards of East Loockerman Street," said Jason Lyon, the city's director of Water and Wastewater/Engineering Services.
According to Lyon, the temporary closure will allow city staff to determine whether limiting access reduces both traffic volume and speeding before recommending any long-term improvements.
"The primary function of them is to deter people from going through there as a cut through so we can better analyze... does it really deter the volume or is it about the same amount of volume?" Lyon said. "Those are the things that we're looking for during this closure."
Lyon said the barricades are not permanent and will not prevent emergency responders from accessing the neighborhood.
"These barricades that are going up are not permanent barricades," Lyon said. "They're the kind you see at a festival or a parade that would close down a road for a block party. So in the case of an emergency vehicle, they can be removed if needed to have a fire truck go through there or an ambulance can go through there."
For neighbor Mary Bell, the temporary closure is a welcome step after years of watching drivers speed through the residential street.
"It'll be nice to have a safe street for a change where people aren't racing down multiple times a day," Bell said.
Bell, who has lived along East Loockerman Street with her family for 11 years, said the narrow road has no sidewalks, making it difficult to safely walk with her children, dogs or visit neighbors.
"You're trying to raise a family, it's really difficult when you can't even walk your dogs, take your baby on a walk in the stroller, walk to visit your neighbors," Bell said. "We just need drivers to respect the road here."
She estimates more than 50 vehicles that do not belong to neighborhood residents travel through the street each day, with many exceeding the speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
Bell recalled seeing one driver traveling 57 miles per hour just the night before.
"We were pulling out for karate and we both stopped and were like, '57?' That's like a new high," she said.
The city says engineers will continue collecting traffic data and evaluating possible traffic-calming measures through Nov. 15. After the study is complete, staff will present their findings and recommendations to Dover City Council for consideration.
