DOVER, Del.- Kenton Road drivers will have to navigate roadwork for the next 18 months.
Traffic signs and orange cones have been alerting drivers to the Kenton Road improvement plans beginning this week. The project will proceed in phases, with utility relocation taking priority.
Discussions regarding widening Kenton Road kicked off in 2016, followed by several public hearings leading up to Monday.
Some drivers in the area are welcoming the construction, highlighting the struggle of the current two-lane road to keep pace with the daily surge of traffic.
"I think it will be worth it. Kenton Road has a lot of traffic, and they really don't have the facilities to handle it most of the time," remarked one driver, Bob Amend.
Others eagerly anticipate the addition of a new bike and walking path, stressing the importance of accommodating non-car commuters.
"You have a lot of people that do a lot of walking, a lot of biking... but we still have problems; pedestrians still get hit, bikes still get hit," noted another.
One point of contention in the improvement plan is the installation of a roundabout at the Chestnut Grove intersection. Some, like Amend, express skepticism about its efficacy.
"The roundabouts seem to be confusing to people for some reason. Instead of traffic flowing through them, they stop, hesitate, and back up. So, I don't know whether a roundabout will work over there," Amend commented.
However, DelDOT officials assert that roundabouts are proven to reduce speeding and deadly crashes.
The project is set to wrap up in August 2025, with the final phase focusing on roadway construction between College Road and Turnberry Drive.