Zach LarkinsROAD RAGE
Does this happen where you live, or is it just in my home town?
Recently, we had an intersection torn up, to make it ‘new and improved' I suppose. The reason for doing the work of upgrading was given as safety issues. Fair enough. The intersection certainly has been improved and more traffic friendly than it was before.
It was ripped apart for a few months, but access through the construction zone was never blocked. You might have to wait a minute or two longer to get through, but on the whole, you could coast through it without too much trouble. The results were stunning. A whole new intersection with widened lanes and easier to negotiate turn lanes. Sight lines were improved immensely and the whole thing was paved in concrete that would stand up to heavy traffic flow from semi's.
We had just gotten used to the idea of this marvel when once again, construction crews showed up to rip it up again. It seems someone down at city hall didn't have the foresight to think that when it was torn apart the first time, some new sewers should be installed. Sewer installation took months longer than the original project. But if they were installed the first time, the time line would not have been much longer and our tax dollars would not have been wasted. This just shows me the incompetence of the engineering department at city hall.
The road is now completely closed to any through traffic. People are making their own detours through a convenience store on one side and a medical office parking lot on the other. The contractor has put up signs saying the road is closed, but gives you no idea where to go to get around the construction. Not satisfied with closing one intersection, the contractor has to work two blocks west and close down two more intersections completely. Still no detours laid out. You are on your own to find your way around them.
After a while the sewers are installed, everything is covered up and they re-pave. With asphalt. Asphalt patches that is. So now we can look forward to having the whole mess torn up yet again in the spring so they can put down concrete. It boggles the mind. When I worked at city hall in a different city, we looked at the whole job, put down new sewers if required and told the utility companies that the road was being torn up, come in and fix what you have to. Otherwise you're out of luck. It worked well and traffic along with the neighbours were inconvenienced for a minimal amount of time.
We often rail against big government spending, but we also have to look closer to home to see how some of our tax money is wasted. I ask again, does this sort of thing happen where you live, or is it just here where I live?
Recently, we had an intersection torn up, to make it ‘new and improved' I suppose. The reason for doing the work of upgrading was given as safety issues. Fair enough. The intersection certainly has been improved and more traffic friendly than it was before.
It was ripped apart for a few months, but access through the construction zone was never blocked. You might have to wait a minute or two longer to get through, but on the whole, you could coast through it without too much trouble. The results were stunning. A whole new intersection with widened lanes and easier to negotiate turn lanes. Sight lines were improved immensely and the whole thing was paved in concrete that would stand up to heavy traffic flow from semi's.
The road is now completely closed to any through traffic. People are making their own detours through a convenience store on one side and a medical office parking lot on the other. The contractor has put up signs saying the road is closed, but gives you no idea where to go to get around the construction. Not satisfied with closing one intersection, the contractor has to work two blocks west and close down two more intersections completely. Still no detours laid out. You are on your own to find your way around them.
We often rail against big government spending, but we also have to look closer to home to see how some of our tax money is wasted. I ask again, does this sort of thing happen where you live, or is it just here where I live?
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Tales From The Green Lantern
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Tales From The Green Lantern