Chaos as Philadelphia orders cars to drive in OPPOSITE direction down major one-way street

Chaos ensues in a major US city after motorists were told to drive in the opposite direction on a major one-way street.

Drivers in Philadelphia recently ran into trouble after the direction of travel was dramatically reversed on a section of Adams Avenue in the Kensington neighborhood, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The avenue previously carried traffic east towards Frankford Avenue, but will now run west from Frankford Avenue to Ruan Street from April 15.

Then, from Ruan to Church Street, the street also turned into a two-way street.

But despite massive flashing warnings and signs, not all Philadelphians are aware of this change.

That has effectively turned the avenue into a confusing, potentially dangerous road that locals fear will inevitably lead to destruction.

Danielle Kearney, the office manager at Domestic Uniform Rental, said the change of direction had “made a mess of the neighborhood.”

“One of these days we’ll just wait for the boom,” Kearney added.

Adams Avenue, in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, previously headed east toward Frankford Avenue, but will now flow west from Frankford to Ruan Street

Danielle Kearney, the office manager at Domestic Uniform Rental (pictured), said the change ‘disrupted an entire business’

Kearney said the change “disrupted an entire business,” as her uniform and facility services provider occupies an entire block of Adams Avenue.

Her company appeared to have been one of the hardest hit by the change in direction.

The trucks move in and out of a loading dock all day to make deliveries, while an 18-wheeler leaves around 5 p.m. for daily routes as far as Baltimore, Maryland.

Motorists used to leave the avenue onto the wider Frankford Avenue, but that is no longer possible.

Now they have to make a tighter and more challenging turn onto the much busier Kensington Avenue.

Kearney said her employees have to block traffic so the driver can eventually make a turn.

Even then, she said that the driver sometimes had no choice but to drive into oncoming traffic when a car was parked on the corner.

However, the Philadelphia Department of Streets said the detour was done at the request of local business owners.

These businesses are said to have had problems accessing their facilities after an earlier street change turned a separate stretch of Adams Avenue into a one-way street.

Kensington is a low-income neighborhood that has recently seen an increase in drug markets and other illegal activities, according to the Philadelphia City Council.

The Philadelphia City Council said the Kensington neighborhood had seen a surge in drug markets and open-air drug activity

The Philadelphia City Council said it held meetings with local businesses and residents before making the move to Adams Avenue (Philadelphia stock photo)

A local resident, Joseph Todd, said he was surprised there hadn’t been an accident yet on the new Adams Avenue.

Todd, who uses the road when he picks up his wife at Domestic Uniform, added that he has seen school buses going the wrong way.

This did not surprise him, however, as he pointed out that his wife was also used to the previous leadership.

“She’s been going in the right direction for God knows how long,” Todd told the Inquirer.

On social media, the reaction to the change in the street was largely discussed, with some questioning why this was happening in the first place.

“People don’t even follow the direction of one-way signs that have never changed,” one Reddit user wrote.

Another added: “Chaos is a ladder.”

Locals are concerned that the apparently abrupt diversion of the avenue could lead to accidents in the area

On Facebook, one online commenter wrote: “lol Kensington has no traffic rules.”

While this is a relatively unusual move, Philadelphia changed the direction of eight streets last year.

The city is conducting a traffic study to ensure the shift is “justified and feasible,” according to the Philadelphia Department of Streets.

Before Adams Avenue was changed, the City Council held meetings with businesses and residents.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Philadelphia Department of Streets for further comment.