From a safety standpoint, there have been multiple fatalities along the corridor for mainline Route 1 traffic. There are no shoulders, so there is no recovery for errant vehicles if somebody has an issue. There is nowhere to pull off if you have a breakdown. The raised concrete traffic islands do not prevent vehicles from leaving the highway and there have been incidents of vehicles leaving the highway, crossing the raised concrete traffic islands, and ending up either in somebody’s front yard or in another accident along the service roads themselves.
The reality is to improve it we need to provide more room for maneuverability along the mainline travel lanes so that requires an inside shoulder and a more substantial outside shoulder for vehicles refuge and concrete barriers to prevent errant vehicles from leaving the highway. Also, the West Interchange Road overpass has concrete piers in the traffic island that are a hazard and are of concern.