Delaware

The new Newark DE toll plaza complete with 2 open road toll (ORT) lanes plus seven conventional lanes each direction will be fully functional in time for the holiday traffic surge this July 4 weekend.

Delaware has issued a strong warning to holiday season motorists telling them use of the Turnpike (I-95) could be a mistake. The Turnpike's Newark toll plaza could be a worse than usual source of delays, they warn.

Delaware DOT have advertised for bids to build two pairs of highway speed electronic toll lanes through the middle of their big toll plaza on I-95 near Newark, presently the bane of travelers in the Washington-Baltimore-Philadelphia-New York corridor. The toll plaza not far from the Maryland line had been planned in the 1990s for complete rebuild and modernization as a conventional straight-across plaza at a cost of over $100m, but was stalled by funding.

The tale of two I-95 toll plaza rebuilds make an interesting comparison. There are similarities and differences. Similarities are that in both states the Turnpike is the major east coast highway artery and the major link to adjoining states.

At last Delaware is moving to break the worst traffic bottleneck on the east coast - the Newark DE toll plaza on the I-95 Turnpike.

Delaware governor Jack Markell's office has announced that the state will spend federal "stimulus funds" to implement open road tolling and modernize the approaches to the notoriously congested Newark DE both-ways toll plaza on I-95 near the Maryland border.

Vehicles backed up at the Newark Toll Plaza on the I-95 Delaware Turnpike just east of the Maryland line were involved in rear-ender crash that killed a 23 year old woman, injured 18 people, and had the Turnpike closed down for two hours. (see ADDITION at end)