Has Delaware Caused a Havoc in Northern Kent and Southern Cecil Counties?

Op-Ed: Steve Atkinson, Publisher.

It’s been a couple of days since Delaware opened the new US301 bypassing the town of Middletown. What many couldn’t believe, myself included, there is not an exit off of 301 in Delaware that doesn’t charge a toll. In fact if one wants to get off at the 1st exit in Delaware to go to Middletown, one is charged a toll. In principal Delaware now charges to enter Delaware. And to top it off, if one is just going to Middletown it cost the same to leave Delaware.

There are ways to bypass the toll to get to Middletown, but these bypasses are going to have people going through the small towns in the area. Galena, Cecilton and Warwick. Warwick will perhaps be seeing the biggest impact since there are a couple of different routes that will send traffic to and through Warwick.

Are these roads capable of handling the additional traffic? Probably not. It will probably be a nightmare for the people that live there. Especially if trucks decide to try to by-pass the tools. These backroads are not made for truck, or heavy traffic.

Summer could also see things being even different. Summer brings in people who vacation and live in Summer Homes. They will be using these roads as well. More traffic. More impact.

Anyway you look at it these roads will become more congested. Resident traffic will be negativity impacted.

For many though the opening of the New US301 is a blessing. Those traveling to Northern Delaware and beyond from Maryland will find a decrease in their travel time by at least 10 minutes. They won’t have to sit through lights and local traffic. Residents of the MOT area (Middletown-Odessa-Townsend) will see less traffic on their streets.

Where you live, where you travel and where you may be going gives each their own views. Some even may have two different opinions depending on the time of the day or the day of their week.

When you look at it I would say that only time will tell. But to me it doesn’t look good for the area in Maryland around 301 at the border of Delaware for quite sometime.