Route 1 road warriors may have a smoother trip through the northern toll plaza.
The Delaware Department of Transportation will reconfigure lanes at toll plazas on Route 1 at Biddle’s Corner near the Roth Bridge. The change will allow for smoother traffic flow through the E-ZPass express lane system.
Due to the increased use of high speed E-ZPass facilities over the years resulting in 67 percent of vehicles using their transponders at each of Delaware’s three mainline toll plazas (Newark, Dover, and Biddle’s Corner), DelDOT is undertaking a project to permit two continuous highway-speed through lanes both approaching and exiting the toll plaza.
Currently, northbound motorists approaching the toll plaza and headed for the E-ZPass express lanes must merge into the far left lane of Route 1, which then splits into two lanes nearing the toll plaza. The Route 301 project ended the merge requirement and allows both E-ZPass lanes to continue northward.
For southbound motorists exiting the plaza, the far left E-ZPass express lane ends, and motorists must then merge back to the right to continue south on Route 1.
The merging on either side of the toll plaza has resulted in accidents and associated back-ups when motorists don’t pay attention or fail to use their mirrors.
The new lane configuration will allow both Route 1 through lanes to access the E-ZPass express lanes, eliminating merges when approaching and exiting the toll plazas in both directions. Cash customers will now be required to use only the right lane approaching the plaza and then keep right as the lane splits in order to enter the toll area.
Upon exiting, cash customers will then be required to merge left back onto mainline SR 1.
The project involves signing and striping changes only. No pavement projects are needed.
Overhead guide signs approaching the toll plaza will be replaced to reflect the changes and portable message signs will be stationed at the approaches of the plaza to alert and remind motorists of the lane change.
The work will be taking place at the Biddle’s Corner toll plaza on or about Monday, October 14 (weather permitting) and will occur during night hours to minimize disruptions.
Motorists can expect lane closures between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., as well as the temporary closure of the E-ZPass express lanes.
The work is expected to last 3 to 4 nights. Earlier, the approach was implemented at the SR 1 Dover Toll Plaza in fall 2018.
With the exception of the recently opened Route 301 toll road, Delaware has not moved to an E-ZPass only system that mails out toll bills to non-members.
Maryland is beginning to phase out cash toll lanes, with the Hatem Bridge on Route 40 over Susquehanna River-Chesapeake Bay moving to the cashless system.
