LEWES, DE - The Delaware Department of Transportation says the long-awaited Plantation Road/Beaver Dam Road/US 9 Roundabout is expected to fully open Thursday.
According to a DelDOT spokesperson, the roundabout will be fully open on May 16th around 9:30 am.
The roundabout was first partially open to traffic on April 19th, facilitating traffic between Beaver Dam Road and Plantation Road.
The Five Points intersection was identified as a high priority due to rapid development and population growth in the area, with the roundabout a proposed solution to years of frequent congestion. The roundabout and additional improvements along Plantation Road are hoped to also improve safety and accommodate further growth in local and seasonal traffic.
Some drivers are excited to see the project come full circle.
"It'll just make it easier," says Lewes resident George Wilson. "Five points has always been a traffic jam. Going and coming to get to Route Nine, everybody runs the red lights and stuff and the circle is going stop all that. It's going to be safer to go around and I think it'll improve the community."
But others, like Kim Bartholomew, aren't so sure. She fears more drivers will begin using Salt Marsh Boulevard, a residential street, to bypass traffic.
"It's already dangerous," says Bartholomew. "They run through the stop signs in the neighborhood and people have almost been hit, but no one seems to have a solution, and I just hope this doesn't make it worse."
Once the roundabout is fully open, the plantation road improvements project will move into Phase Four. This will include road widening and merging, drainage improvements, and the installation of sidewalks and curbs. Phase four is expected to last until November.
