LEWES, Del. -- On Thursday at the Lewes Transit Center, Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) project managers and community relations staff presented plans for the upcoming six month closure of Plantation Road related to the Plantation Road Improvements.
Beginning November 5th & 6th, Plantation Road will be closed to all traffic between Shady Road to west of Salt Marsh Boulevard. The closure includes no access to the Route 9 intersection until May 2024 when a new roundabout will open, according to the Department.
According to DelDOT, there will be detour routes on Cedar Grove Rd., Kendale Rd., Dairy Farm Rd., and Lewes Georgetown Hwy.
"It'll take some getting used to over that first week or two, just accommodating for the added time that's necessary for the detour route and getting used to what that traffic flow will look like," says DelDOT's C.R. McLeod.
Some neighbors are expressing concern about the months long road closures.
"My concern is making the left from Dairy Farm Road onto Beaver Dam Road," says Kent Baschwitz. "I am literally white knuckled trying to make that left hand turn. There's bushes and all kinds of growth in the way, and you can't see the cars flying down Beaver Dam Road, and it's dangerous."
Joe Pinto, who lives in the Somerset Green neighborhood parallel to Plantation Road, says he is already frustrated thinking about the delays and congestion to come.
"The timing of this couldn't be worse," says Pinto. "It's going to divert a lot of the traffic that uses Plantation to avoid Coastal Highway back on to Coastal Highway and it's going to make the congestion on Coastal Highway that much worse."
DelDOT officials say they will monitor traffic as the project progresses to ensure that detours are working well.