Delaware Route 72: The Road to Nowhere

Delaware Route 72 is the highway equivalent of a participation trophy—it's there, but does it really matter? This 20-mile stretch of road meanders through New Castle County, Delaware, connecting the towns of Newark and Delaware City. It was established in the mid-20th century, but let's be honest, it's not exactly the Autobahn. While it serves as a local connector, it lacks the grandeur or significance of major highways. So why should anyone care about this road? Because it’s a perfect example of government inefficiency and misplaced priorities.

First off, Delaware Route 72 is a classic case of over-engineering. The road is constantly under construction, with taxpayers footing the bill for endless "improvements" that seem to accomplish nothing. Potholes are filled, only to reappear like a bad sequel. Traffic lights are added, removed, and then added again, as if the Department of Transportation is playing a game of musical chairs. It's a never-ending cycle of waste that would make any fiscal conservative cringe.

Then there's the issue of traffic. For a road that’s supposed to ease congestion, it does a spectacularly poor job. During rush hour, Delaware Route 72 becomes a parking lot, with cars inching along at a snail's pace. The road is a bottleneck, not a thoroughfare. It's as if the planners forgot that people actually need to get places on time. Instead of alleviating traffic, it exacerbates it, turning a simple commute into a test of patience.

And let's talk about safety—or the lack thereof. Delaware Route 72 is notorious for its accidents. The road is a hodgepodge of confusing intersections and poorly marked lanes, making it a magnet for fender benders and more serious collisions. It's a wonder that anyone makes it to their destination unscathed. The state’s response? More signs and lower speed limits, as if drivers are the problem, not the road itself.

The environmental impact is another sore point. The road cuts through some of Delaware's most scenic areas, yet it does nothing to preserve them. Instead, it contributes to pollution and noise, disrupting local wildlife and ruining the natural beauty. It's a blight on the landscape, a testament to the state's disregard for its own environment.

And who benefits from this mess? Certainly not the average citizen. The only winners are the contractors who get paid to "fix" the road and the bureaucrats who justify their existence by overseeing these pointless projects. It's a classic case of government serving itself rather than the people.

Delaware Route 72 is a microcosm of everything wrong with modern infrastructure planning. It's a road to nowhere, both literally and figuratively. It serves as a reminder that when government gets involved, inefficiency and waste are never far behind. So the next time you're stuck in traffic on this ill-conceived highway, remember: it's not just a road, it's a symbol of everything that needs fixing in our approach to public works.