Traffic continues to cut through narrow roads as short cut to Rt. 52 roundabout detour
By Kelli Siehl, Staff Writer, The Times
Despite signs making it clear that Pocopson’s Denton Hollow Road is not the designated detour route for traffic going from Rt. 926 to Rt. 52, motorists continue to use the narrow roadway through a township neighborhood as a shortcut, concerning local residents.
POCOPSON — Residents living along Denton Hollow Road continue to search for ways to reduce traffic along the narrow, winding roadway and told officials during the recent Township Supervisors meeting that they expect to see results.
Supervisors Chair, Ricki Stumpo read from a statement that the Public Works Department is taking action to maintain resident’s and driver’s safety due to increased traffic on township roadways due to the roundabout construction that has closed Route 52 until mid-September.
Stumpo said calls are pouring in from those living along Denton Hollow, Locust Grove, Parkersville and Corrine roads. She said she called the state police and asked them to maintain a presence in the township to monitor and ticket speeding traffic and “they said they would help.”
Stumpo said the township has ordered a portable, speed monitor and will place guardrails along the shoulder of a steep portion of roadway along Denton Hollow Road.
Denton Hollow resident Sarah Mims told the supervisors she is appreciative of what the township is doing but pressed for an answer to a question posed by residents at the past several meetings asking for the roadway to be converted to a one-way street.
Resident Chris Conaway told officials that speeding is not an issue, “its volume and its going to get worse” referring to the future replacement of the 926 bridge over the Brandywine. Conaway said the Township needs a long-term solution and asked if officials would pursue a one-way option if a majority of the residents living along or near Denton Hollow signed a petition.
Stumpo said officials would discuss the matter with the township solicitor.
Denton Hollow is a public road. I remember when they put the circle in Unionville. The residents along Merrimac Lane, Soltner Drive, and Chapel Drive acted like these public roads were their own private roads also. Get real people.
I was taken aback (insulted a little?) when the orange sign went up. This is a public road. The 52 detour is inconvenient for a lot of us. Utilizing Denton Hollow Rd is not an attractive alternative, but sometimes is better than the only other alternative, the designated detour route.
As mentioned above from a resident, speeding isn’t the issue. Merely additional traffic? I’m against restricting the road without hearing of any material safety problem. I see it as a temporary inconvenience whilst our township is engaged in the long term improvement towards overall traffic flow and safety. This add’l traffic should cease when the roundabout opens in Sept.
Yes, it’s a narrow road. But it’s also a road where nearly all the homes are set way back from the roadway. I have only once encountered foot traffic and it was not at all a dangerous event. It was nice to see some kids playing by the creek.
As a Pocopson resident, and if the timing is such that the recommended detour is going to be very backed up, I feel I should be able to choose to use Denton Hollow Rd.
I haven’t personally observed speeding. I have noticed slight increased traffic, but rarely do I cross paths with more than two other cars from the other direction. For the ones I follow, more often than not, they are heading to/from the section of 52 that has been cut-off, i.e. folks with Pocopson township destinations.
Why should our township support preventing the remaining Pocopson residents (whom I speculate are the primary users of Denton Hollow) be restricted from our community funded Pocopson roads?