'Nightmare' intersections at Lincoln Highway and Oxford Valley Road in Middletown to get $11.3M fix

Ask motorists about the busy intersection of Oxford Valley and Bristol-Oxford Valley roads as traffic flows to and from the major crossroads of Lincoln Highway and Oxford Valley, and they are quick to give their assessment.

"Can I use the word "nightmare," said George Jones, a car salesman at a Langhorne dealership. "The whole design is wrong. There's a hundred cars trying to get through that stop sign." Jones, of Philadelphia, said if the intersection was in the city, "there would be 100 accidents. Nobody would wait."

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has heard from the community, and reviewed accident reports and done other studies, and has a plan to fix two of Bucks County's most confounding intersections. It will take the next four years to complete but officials hope their $11.38 million improvement project will make the intersections safer for motorists and pedestrians alike.

For motorists used to the long wait at the stop sign on Bristol Oxford Valley Road, the fix can't come soon enough.

At the Philly's Craft Beer & Wine store on Bristol Oxford Valley, Diana, a store clerk, said the traffic delays help drive traffic to the store. "The more traffic it causes, the more it benefits us," she said. "It's a horrible intersection."

PennDOT scheduled the improvements at the intersections that cross Falls and Middletown townships because North Oxford Valley Road and Bristol Oxford Valley Road "have higher than statewide average crash results" based on a state report covering 2013-17. And ramps required by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) are either missing or not in compliance with PennDOT standards.

PennDOT spokesman Brad Rudolph said earlier this summer that about 23,000 vehicles a day travel on Oxford Valley, east of Lincoln Highway. The Oxford Point Shopping Center and a busy Wawa with fueling stations are located along the roads that will be reconfigured.

The Lincoln Highway intersection also feeds traffic to the Oxford Valley Mall, a hospital, a handful of other busy shopping centers within a mile, and Sesame Place and its associated hotels. At peak times, traffic can sit at the intersection through several light changes after motorists navigate to or from the smaller intersection of Oxford Valley and Bristol-Oxford Valley roads that relies on stop signs only.

The current stop-sign controlled intersection would be eliminated and a new signalized crossing would replace it near the exit of the shopping center, according to plans. The work is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2026.

"The intersection is terrible," said Dr. Leonard Burg, who was stopping at the shopping center Tuesday. He is a geneticist and member of the mitochondrial medicine team at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "I'm surprised it needs $11 million and four years to fix it. But I guess that's what things cost."

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A PennDOT study of the intersections showed that "existing traffic signal equipment does not meet current ADA and MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) standards.

"The lack of pedestrian and vehicle detection combined with high ADT (average daily traffic) leads to inefficient operation and serious congestion, a problem that is magnified during periods of peak traffic flow," PennDOT noted. "Outdated pedestrian signals, insufficient or failing pedestrian actuation and inadequate pedestrian access creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians."

The study also reported that faded pavement markings and a lack of sufficient drainage facilities add to safety issues during periods of wet weather.

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At Oxford Valley Road and Lincoln Highway, where the Middletown 'M' monument sits, the improvement plan calls for "widening of both roadways for dual left-turn lanes at all four approaches to the intersection and for a northbound right-turn lane." The project also includes modifications of curbs and concrete islands, new curbs, sidewalks and ADA compliant curb ramps.

As part of the overall project, existing traffic signals and mast arms will be replaced and new drainage structures including inlets, manholes and pipes will be installed. "Traffic signal improvements will include signal optimization, emergency pre-emption and video detection," PennDOT stated.

PennDOT spokeswoman Krys Johnson said the design plan now proposed is still subject to change.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PennDOT to fix Oxford Valley Road and Lincoln Highway intersections