Wilmington Officials Tackle Traffic Problems at Kerr-Market Intersection

Wilmington drivers are all too familiar with the congested intersection at Kerr Avenue and Market Street. Excessive traffic combined with dangerous left-turns continue to cause drivers headache and frustration. But local transportation officials have several proposals in the works to improve the traffic congestion and reduce car accidents at the intersection. Eliminating left-turns onto Market Street is one in particular.

From 2000 to 2007, the Kerr-Market intersection was rated the most dangerous intersection in Wilmington with over 350 car accidents occurring during this eight-year period. Officials claim that left-hand turns were the cause of many of these collisions.

Transportation officials met last month at Wilmington’s City Hall to discuss, in particular, a “quadrant design” for the intersection. The intent of the quadrant design is to eliminate the current left-turn lanes from Kerr to Market Street and changes the lanes to thru-lanes. The plan also includes a re-route to Cinema Drive for drivers wishing to still turn left from Kerr onto Market. However, some say the plan is more expensive and would add an estimated $10 million to the project’s already costly total.

However, Mike Kozlosky, Wilmington’s senior transportation planner, says the new quadrant design would handle vehicle capacities until year 2040.

It remains to be seen just what proposal will be implemented. Regardless of the design, drivers will someday be able to traverse the Kerr Avenue intersection with less difficulty, but that time has not yet arrived. Contact an experienced North Carolina personal injury attorney if you have been hurt in a car accident in or around Wilmington.

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Improvement design plans at Kerr, Market would switch left turns