Nothing to snarl at

Base traffic getting more congested with influx of troops
December 18, 2008 - 6:22 PM
JENNIFER HLAD

Traffic getting onto Camp Lejeune in the morning increased substantially recently, causing at least two platoons to change their work schedule to avoid the rush.

Chief Warrant Officer Rob Hansill, of 8th Communications Battalion, said his and another platoon are starting work earlier to get around traffic. Hansill lives 11 miles from base and said it used to take him 15 minutes to get to work, using the N.C. 172 gate in Hubert. With the additional traffic, he said, it would take an hour and 15 minutes if he left the house at the same time.

On the weekend, it takes 1st Lt. Nathan Mueller about 35 minutes to drive from his home in Richlands to base. And a few months ago, it would take about an hour to get to work each weekday morning, using the main gate. But as recently as two weeks ago, it was taking an hour and 45 minutes - forcing him to leave at 5:45 a.m. to be at work by 7:30.

The traffic problem, Marines and others who work on base say, has gotten exponentially worse recently. And most say they think the increase is at least partially due to the build up of the Marine Corps and the number of units who have returned from deployment.

In the past few months, roughly 3,000 more Marines and sailors have returned home from deployment than left for Iraq or Afghanistan. And 5,000 additional Marines and sailors have already been added to the total on base as part of the Marine Corps' "Grow the Force" initiative.

The weather also may be contributing to the traffic issue, Hansill said, as more Marines and sailors skip the cold early morning workout on base in favor of afternoon or evening physical training.

The past week has seen traffic levels in some areas dip back down to more manageable levels, but many Marines say they aren't sure whether the lull will last.

Military and civilian officials are studying the traffic concerns and working on long-term solutions. But the Marines who drive the route each day say they already have some of their own.

They said they believe building a bridge from Tarawa Terrace to Mainside would help the traffic situation, by decreasing the number of cars going through the main gate each morning.

Staff Sgt. Michael Chambers said adding another lane at the Piney Green gate also would help, alleviating some of the tie-ups there and taking some traffic away from the main gate. Others suggesting staggering work start and end times. And most say the traffic should decrease some early next year, when numerous units are scheduled to deploy.

Chambers, of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, changed his morning routine to avoid the traffic crunch. He lives near Horse Creek Farms and would normally take the Piney Green gate, but said it is faster to turn right on to N.C. 24 off of Piney Green Road and use the main gate instead.

He normally leaves his house between 6:30 and 6:40 and gets to work about 7:20 a.m., he said. If he took the Piney Green gate, he wouldn't get there until 8.

Staff Sgt. James Iverson also changed his morning routine, but said the traffic volume is not consistent. When he moved to his home near Swansboro about a year ago, there was virtually no traffic going through the N.C. 172 gate in the morning, he said. Then, a few weeks ago, he started having to leave the house about a half hour earlier. Then, one day earlier this month, he hit the gate at 7 a.m. and saw no traffic.

"Every day is different," Iverson said.

Base school employees have also felt the traffic crunch, said Elizabeth Thomas, assistant superintendent of Camp Lejeune Dependent Schools.

"During the past several weeks we have experienced traffic delays - difficulty getting on and off the base," she said. "Having worked on the base for many years, I understand that there are times when traffic flow is beyond the scope of our control. During such times, we ask staff to anticipate extra travel time and plan accordingly."

But it isn't always easy to plan, said Master Gunnery Sgt. B.J. Byers of Combat Logistics Regiment 27. Byers said he got to work early every day two weeks ago because of the fluctuating traffic. His drive from Richlands to work through the main gate had been taking an hour and 45 minutes, but suddenly decreased to about 35 or 40 minutes. Still, he said, he was afraid to leave his house later, in case the drop in traffic was just a fluke.

Sgt. Jason Farley, who was stationed at Camp Lejeune previously, recently moved back to the area. He lives in Atlantic Beach, which is already a 90-minute haul to base, but the traffic adds at least a half hour each morning, he said.

But unlike most other Marines, Farley has to brave the visitor's center each morning to get a pass, since he hasn't gotten his base sticker yet. The line usually stretches out to the grassy area, Farley said.

‘They're doing a good job in there, but they are only doing one-day passes," he said.

Iverson said it is simply a problem of too many cars trying to use too few roads. With deployment pay and bonuses, many younger Marines are getting one or two vehicles, which simply adds to the already growing traffic volume, he said.

"I think the road system wasn't ready for the influx of Marines," Iverson said.

Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.

Ellie