STEVENSVILLE, MD - To keep traffic from spilling onto side roads and prevent commuters from seeking shortcuts, blocks have been placed at Exits 39A, 38A, and 37, continuing each weekend until October 1st.
Paula Hubbard and Suzanne Elliot spent their Sunday enjoying drinks right off Exit 39A at Cult Classic Taproom. While their drinks were cold, their opinions on the exit blockages were quite the opposite.
Hubbard finds the blocks to be a headache and believes they negatively impact the local economy
"I think it's awful, I think it hurts local businesses, I know it hurts people who want to come and pull off, go into a store, and get right back on the highway." said Hubbard
On the other hand, Elliot sees the blocks as a potential savor for the neighborhood, as they may discourage shortcut driving on side roads.
"A lot of shenanigans with people jumping off the highway, I know people who live around here, and the backroads are just clogged with traffic. I really don't mind." said Elliot
If the blocks prove successful in alleviating traffic congestion, the program could continue in the future.
Neighbor Nikki Morris finds these new traffic patterns frustrating, adding she wished they had some system for local residents to be able to access the expressway directly -- similar to EZ Pass.
"I'm extremely frustrated, I don't like that I can't just jump on. I can't go over the bridge, I will not go over the bridge."