One of the fallouts of a long, relatively dry autumn is that road projects don't shut down. Good weather extends the construction season, and any driver who's tried to negotiate Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo streets understands the dynamic.
That being said, it's not been all that bad for motorists. Millions of dollars worth of roadwork has been under way all summer. Several projects on major thoroughfares -- South University Drive comes to mind -- seemed to go on forever. Bridge work where Rose Coulee flows beneath the roadway took a long time. But it's done now, the road is open, and it's likely memories of the closure are fading fast.
Cities and contractors have done a good job planning and marking detours around construction zones. For the most part, anyone going from here to there in the cities has had little trouble getting to a destination. Detours might lengthen a drive by a few minutes, or a busy detour might sometimes be plugged with backed-up traffic, but for the most part, the bypasses were planned well and operated efficiently.
One location that has been a headache for drivers -- and still is -- is the constricted lanes on Interstate 94 near West Fargo. The backups during afternoon rush hour have been long and aggravating. That one will be a problem for some time to come.
The latest detour in Fargo is around bridge work on 25th Street South, where Rose Coulee flows beneath the roadway. A major north-south commuter route, the closure of 25th is expected to last about three weeks and, frankly, will be a real inconvenience for many drivers.
ADVERTISEMENT
Metro cities have to get necessary roadwork done when the weather allows. The dry fall has helped move projects along, some of which were stalled during a very wet spring and early summer. If it takes a little more time to negotiate the cities' streets, so be it. The history of roadwork in the cities -- the result when work is done -- confirms that the delays and detours are worth it.
