Stuck in traffic: Bridge projects slow drivers

Call this more of a head-scratcher than a complaint.

Crews have wrapped up a re-do of the pavement on the Missouri 291 bridge over Interstate 70 in Independence – at the contractor’s expense. That project was originally done last summer and has taken more than two weeks of crimped traffic to do over.

Meanwhile, crews are plugging away on the Noland Road bridge over I-70. The bridge reopened a month ago, but the catch is that it’s not fully functional just yet. For starters, not being able to make a left onto eastbound I-70 is a pain. Not all the lanes have been in use, backing up traffic. During peak traffic, it has at times taken take five to 10 minutes to get over the bridge.

It’s getting better. Still, drivers can be forgiven for muttering a sarcastic comment or two about what “done” and “open” really mean. They’re the ones who pay a price – in spent time and rising blood pressure – when they run into delays on the roads.