UPDATE: As of 8am Wednesday morning, the waters had subsided and Rt. 13 was reopened.
SALISBURY, Md. - A critical traffic artery has been submerged, as Route 13 north of Priscilla Street transformed into an temporary extension of the Wicomico River. This major disruption is not just an inconvenience for the drivers, but it's also negatively impacting local businesses.
Monday's scenes depicted cars almost submerged in floodwaters, while today, detour signs rerouted traffic through alternate side streets. Commuters like Ken Kirchner are facing significantly increased travel times.
Kirchner, who is familiar with occasional flooding in the area, expressed his dismay, stating, "It's a little worse than I've seen before but it's awful bad right at this spot."
Businesses are feeling the pinch. An employee at Pep Boys, located just south of the flooded area, reported a number of canceled appointments. Howard Todd, from Grant's Auto Services said this is nothing new, "This is an ongoing problem. We've been here at this location 12 years now. And this ain't the first time, it's an ongoing problem."
As Route 13 remains closed, other thoroughfares like Beaglin Park Drive are experiencing increased congestion.
The Maryland State Highway Administration says it does not have a timetable for when Route 13 could reopen.
