Letters to the editor: Never ending detours

To the editor:

I live out on the never-ending-detour road. All my neighbors are scoping out the new neighbors we rarely see on a pleasant 4 mile-ish roundabout. Not bad, but the 25 mph, narrow, no center line, blind hills, roadside brush/trees; it takes what seems to be ten minutes, each time back-and-forth; when will it end? Pity the families, with all the traffic through what was once a quiet road. One place has lost at least two birds to the traffic. I hope for no accidents or personal injury.

I feel like we’re all idiots sitting at the red light that doesn’t change, 2 a.m., no traffic to be found. I’ve complained that it must be a ‘state’ job; for the shut-downs at break and lunches, and three days of about nothing, setting-up the detour, getting their equipment parked in the road, concrete barriers – and that, insult-to-injury, occurred just in time for the three day weekend; not working, just us, watching nothing for work as we drive by too often, each time more annoyed. State crew, maybe, but definitely a union job.

Maybe it’s too important, dangerous even, to put off starting after the long weekend. Maybe I should hope someone on the crew isn’t scheduled for vacation time. But, for the disruption to traffic, the headaches of people who regularly depend on that section of road, and safety issues; where’s the ‘effort’? I’d think, to get the job done, someone would spell the shovel operator for his lunch; keep digging. Would it be to much to consider longer days working, maybe even two shifts, And who closes, detours, a road, barely starting the work, only to take the holiday weekend off?

Thanks guys, and even for letting us know; we didn’t. We don’t get the paper, was it published somewhere? A sign; “Road closed next week for culvert replacement”? I don’t see everyone to know, but no one yet has told me they had heard anything prior to the closing/detour. That’s not respectful to us at all, like we’re nobody, nothing to be concerned for; it’s not right! Meanwhile, they work, take breaks, have no traffic to worry them, and keep them safe. Them, but no concern for us it seems.

Dean DeWitt
China