Feeling ‘Punk’d’ by Harbor Tunnel traffic signs | READER COMMENTARY

It’s no surprise that the loss of the Francis Scott Key Bridge has thrown the commute of tens of thousands into what is often traffic stalemate (“Key Bridge collapse’s impact on Baltimore tunnels, I-95 traffic revealed in data,” May 20). As The Baltimore Sun has reported, “Southbound traffic heading from Southeast Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood to South Baltimore increased nearly 12% in the week ending March 30 from the week prior, while northbound traffic increased by nearly 11%. In 2023, the increase in the same weeks was around 4.4% and 6.5%, respectively.”

What isn’t helping, however, is the ongoing repair work in the Harbor Tunnel. I understand that this was, presumably, scheduled well in advance of the Key Bridge tragedy and that the scheduled repairs are essential. So on the days that I’m commuting home between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. when traffic is narrowed to one lane, I try to be patient and distract myself with podcasts, etc.

Yet starting last week, there’s been a new development that leaves me feeling like I’m on the old show Punk’d: The two digital overhead signs leading up to the toll plaza noted that through traffic was in the left lane (or left two lanes) only, but when you get to the booths, there are digital arrows directing all traffic to the one far right lane. Unsurprisingly, this has led to a huge, crawling (or often at a dead stop) cluster of confused, irritable and frustrated drivers of which I am absolutely one.

I have three questions for the Maryland Department of Transportation: Why? Why? And why?

— Sherry Bithell, Overlea

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