Right Lane Closed Ahead 1 Mile

Every time I see this sign I cringe. There are workers just barely on the other side of the barracades, or traffic is being shunted off to the other side of the highway and it is two way traffic with very narrow lanes, or there are deep drop offs just at the edge of the barricades.

No matter what it is there are a lot of vehicles jockeying for the next space in line. Some twits wait to the last few feet before the barricades to move to the open lane.

There is road construction from one end of this country to the other end, and about everywhere in between. We can't escape it.

Even though it is inconvenient, irksome, and time consuming, it is a necessary part of the highway system. If repairs weren't made and new roads put in we would be back to the early days of travel with deeply rutted mud tracks.

The route we took today from La Vergne, Tennessee to Tunica, Mississippi was Interstate followed by a city part of Memphis where we traveled surface streets with all of their traffic lights. This lead us into Mississippi and finally off surface streets to US and State roads.

Going south on US 61 near Tunica we passed a sign for I-69 to Memphis. I asked Joe if we were going to try that road on the way back? Yes, he said. We'll give it a try.

So we did. It was an Interstate for about 17 miles to I-55 where it ended abruptly, which was what we needed to be on anyway. No surface streets, no traffic lights to wait through, just zip zip zip.

This is when all the whining I do about road construction makes me feel like an ass. A road was constructed, all be it, to make it easier for the people of Memphis to spend their hard earned money in the casinos in Tunica, as well as an easier trip back to La Vergne, Tennessee for Joe and I.

It is a good road. And when it is finally finished in years to come it will be a connecting road from Mexico to Canada. That is what I-69 is supposed to be.

Posted with LifeCast