South Frederica Traffic Nightmare Extends Beyond Its Four Lanes
It was a simple task, really. I just had to run an errand out to Cracker Barrel. Easy enough, right? Actually, getting there was. But I used J.R. Miller Boulevard. It was the return trip that snatched me bald, figuratively speaking, of course. I really could have pulled my hair out. It shouldn’t take twenty minutes to drive three and a half miles, the distance back to the station. But it did. South Frederica and its offshoots are far more than simply a force to be reckoned with at lunchtime. Strait jacket, anyone?
I’m not kidding. In the time it took me to get from Cracker Barrel to WBKR, I could have driven almost to Henderson. Here’s the problem, from my standpoint. From Time Drive to the last mall entrance, between Applebee’s and Fazoli’s, there are SEVEN intersections with traffic lights. That’s only about a mile. And because Frederica is so jam-packed during its busiest hours, the side streets get the excess. And I was on the worst of the bunch. Salem Drive at lunchtime is a nightmare mainly because of two incredibly popular restaurants–Wendy’s and Chick-Fil-A. It runs right between them. It’s also the first Frederica Street-J.R. Miller Boulevard connector once you get past the bypass. And I sat there for 15 minutes. We were gridlocked. I’ve gotten through downtown Chicago at a quicker pace. I know I recently wrote about my issues with Burlew Boulevard and New Hartford Road, but I guess now I might have to reconsider.