Smooth Sailing?

Nobody in Astoria's east end has slept for the last two nights and it's spreading west. The Oregon Department of Transportation has a huge crew laying new surface on Highway 30. They are working all night long from 7pm until 7am. The sound of heavy trucks and the safety required beep-beep-beep of vehicles backing up combined with the sounds of gouging and scraping out the old road bed to prepare it for the new is constant and really kicks into high gear just as most people are turning in for the night.

It is understandable that ODOT is attempting to minimize the impacts on traffic (particularly on the Bicentennial weekend) during the day but this plan not only has a major and very noisy project operating through residential neighborhoods all night long, but they are working so long that they interfere with the morning drive.

To those who shrug and say "well at least we'll have a nice new road when it's all through" I say: Is it impossible to find a time during the day to do this? Reader boards indicate the project will continue through what will be a very busy weekend and upset more than my repose.

The Bicentennial committee was not aware of this in spite of going through some incredible logistical planning for every aspect of the celebration.

While the new road is appreciated it might have been nice to have a little more communication going on before this project got underway. I suppose ODOT planners just decided to hold their nose and dive in. I hope the state and federal officials who will be here Saturday are impressed.