New Walmart raises traffic concerns in Porters Neck

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — We’ve been telling you for months about traffic issues in the Porters Neck area of Wilmington. Today a brand new Walmart opened up on Market Street. So what do locals think this means for future congestion?

“At times it’s pretty bad. But it just depends on the time,” said DK Medlin who lives in Hampstead.

Construction and roadwork have been causing delays for some folks in Porters Neck for quite some time. So does the Walmart’s opening have any effect on the road conditions?

“I think it’s about the same. They have turn off areas so it’s not too congested,” said Medlin.

For the opening the roads appeared to be moving smoothly. But some people are still hesitant about the future.

“The store just opened today so I think to make an honest judgement we have to wait until it’s been open for a little while. Plus the other stores are going to be coming here, McDonald’s, the restaurants,” said Chrine Mayer.

When construction was at its peak, some said the delays were pretty bad. But now things are almost back to normal. And for some the convenience of a Walmart close to home is worth a few extra minutes on the road.
“We’re very happy to have this big Walmart store here because it’s so much more convenient than going all the way into Wilmington,” said Medlin.

There is still some roadwork going on in the area, as well as work on the shopping center where the Walmart is located.