TRAFFIC ALERT - Signing And Striping Improvements Near I-95 Toll Plaza

Short-Term Improvements in Anticipation of Recovery Project

Newark -- The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) advises motorists who use the I-95 Toll Plaza that signing and striping improvements approaching the plaza will occur Wednesday, April 29, 2009, through June 2009. Traffic will be maintained throughout the project, however, single lane closures during off-peak hours should be expected. Most work will take place at night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., but could also occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Byers Electrical Construction, based in Bear, will be performing this work at an estimated cost of $190,000. This project will focus on improving signing and striping approaching the I-95 Toll Plaza in the northbound and southbound directions. By improving signing and striping, drivers' awareness of which lanes they should use will improve. This will additionally improve lane utilization. Much of the backup on northbound I-95 before the toll plaza is because most drivers use the main five toll lanes but not the five additional satellite lanes to the right. In other words, sometimes while traffic is backing up to go through the main five lanes, none of the satellite toll lanes are being used.

DelDOT's expectation is that the improved signs and striping will more clearly communicate and encourage cash customers to use the right-hand satellite lanes and for E-ZPass customers to use the left-hand main lanes. Signs will be revised and simplified and the lanes will be more clearly designated for E-ZPass and cash customers.

Work will be paused over Memorial Day weekend. During much of the peak traffic on summer weekends and holidays, traffic exceeds more than 130,000 vehicles per day.

This initial project is in anticipation of the $43 million worth of improvements funded through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA, commonly referred to as the "economic stimulus," will add two "highway speed E-ZPass lanes" in the northbound and southbound directions through the toll plaza, making it consistent with the two highly effective plazas on Route 1 in Dover and at Biddles Corner south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. In Newark, there will be seven lanes northbound and southbound that will accept cash and E-ZPass, for a total of nine toll lanes in each direction. In addition, DelDOT will improve toll collectors' access and safety to the plazas. This project is expected to begin construction in 2010.