Winter is coming, and one of the few saving graces is that construction has to stop (well, usually). But until that time, construction projects continue and, sometimes, speed up to beat the cold and the snow. It appears to be doing that now, and in my neck of the woods.
My commute has been affected for the better part of a year now. I can get to work through 35W South, but it has been reduced to fewer lanes over the past several months, choking the lanes that are free and thus running up the time it takes to get to work. This was my preferred method before the shifting areas of construction began, and it took me, oh, several times being late before I concluded that using side streets would be the faster commute.
But three closings over the next week might end even that detour. First, the off-ramp going from 35W South to the exit that stops right at work closed yesterday/Tuesday morning. That doesn't affect me directly, but indirectly, those cars that use that ramp probably will take the one north of it. The ripples from that closure I saw this morning as I was furtively trying to get to work on time; I had to wait at my light while the cross-light was filled with people taking left turns to get onto 35W South. I assume traffic patterns were altered to accommodate these inconvenienced commuters.
It'll get somewhat worse tomorrow/Thursday morning, when that exit I alluded to above, the on-ramp onto 35W South will close. Only on a few occasions have I used that after work. But dammit, I planned on using it tomorrow because I am going to see my shrink.
Finally, the shit probably hits the fan Monday. There is a big sign on the suburb that encompasses this side street that road construction begins next week. I have no idea what that means -- I should call them -- but I wonder if the row of cones that made the right lane of this two-lane highway unusable has anything to do with it. If so, it was bad enough when I drove that street with only one lane open today; it might get worse if this is the beginning of a prolonged project.
What really pisses me off is that all these construction projects are going on at the same time, and they're clustered around the same area -- the one that I need to drive through to get to work. Is there any coordination, is there any meeting, where someone goes, "Yeah, there are a few projects going on in the same area, so wouldn't it be prudent that we delay this project so people can use the detour without suffering through more construction congestion?" That makes total sense to me. But obviously that shit ain't happening.
I have trouble getting up as it is. I've been cutting it very close getting to work this week, although this morning I was sort of cutting my nose to spite my face (I might get into talking about my bitchy co-worker some other time). What's going on now, and what will probably happen starting next week, should spur me into leaving at an earlier time to ensure I get to work on time. Nevertheless, this is the stereotypical Minnesota Construction Season rearing its ugly head, and for the first time in a long time (if not ever), it feels as though its tentacles are conspiring against me.
My commute has been affected for the better part of a year now. I can get to work through 35W South, but it has been reduced to fewer lanes over the past several months, choking the lanes that are free and thus running up the time it takes to get to work. This was my preferred method before the shifting areas of construction began, and it took me, oh, several times being late before I concluded that using side streets would be the faster commute.
But three closings over the next week might end even that detour. First, the off-ramp going from 35W South to the exit that stops right at work closed yesterday/Tuesday morning. That doesn't affect me directly, but indirectly, those cars that use that ramp probably will take the one north of it. The ripples from that closure I saw this morning as I was furtively trying to get to work on time; I had to wait at my light while the cross-light was filled with people taking left turns to get onto 35W South. I assume traffic patterns were altered to accommodate these inconvenienced commuters.
It'll get somewhat worse tomorrow/Thursday morning, when that exit I alluded to above, the on-ramp onto 35W South will close. Only on a few occasions have I used that after work. But dammit, I planned on using it tomorrow because I am going to see my shrink.
Finally, the shit probably hits the fan Monday. There is a big sign on the suburb that encompasses this side street that road construction begins next week. I have no idea what that means -- I should call them -- but I wonder if the row of cones that made the right lane of this two-lane highway unusable has anything to do with it. If so, it was bad enough when I drove that street with only one lane open today; it might get worse if this is the beginning of a prolonged project.
What really pisses me off is that all these construction projects are going on at the same time, and they're clustered around the same area -- the one that I need to drive through to get to work. Is there any coordination, is there any meeting, where someone goes, "Yeah, there are a few projects going on in the same area, so wouldn't it be prudent that we delay this project so people can use the detour without suffering through more construction congestion?" That makes total sense to me. But obviously that shit ain't happening.
I have trouble getting up as it is. I've been cutting it very close getting to work this week, although this morning I was sort of cutting my nose to spite my face (I might get into talking about my bitchy co-worker some other time). What's going on now, and what will probably happen starting next week, should spur me into leaving at an earlier time to ensure I get to work on time. Nevertheless, this is the stereotypical Minnesota Construction Season rearing its ugly head, and for the first time in a long time (if not ever), it feels as though its tentacles are conspiring against me.
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