So many times we hear about construction updates, road work etc. and we just shrug it off. Here's why, whenever possible, you should find alternate routes.  I found out the hard way. The Cable Bridge is going to remain torn up through at least 5-24.

Monday, due to a Blue Bridge slowdown (what else is new?!) that had cars backed up the Lewis Street on ramp southbound, I decided to take the Cable.  I forgot about the southbound repaving project.  Seeing the cars stacked up all the way down 28th in Pasco, I thought nothing of it.  I also made the mistake of going there around 4:10pm.

But when I arrived at the turn to the bridge, I realized, 'uh-oh,' this was not bright. Due to the four lanes of the Ed Hendler Memorial Bridge (that's it's official name) being reduced to one-way travel, it was a mess!

I literally sat for ten minutes, waiting to get onto the bridge. Then another 10-15 gently swaying in the wind on the structure. But I did get a first hand view of a huge backhoe unit tearing up the pavement. It must have been applying some serious torque, as blue smoke was rising from the asphalt. My first though was, 'geez I hope he doesn't poke a hole in the bridge' from the way the operator was stabbing the pavement.

It was literally rocking the large excavator.  Finally, after another delay at the bottom, I was 'released.'  By the time I cut down a side street near the fruit plant and back to Columbia Drive then up Canal, it had taken me 42 minutes to get from our station in Pasco to our home near Kamiakin.

One of my first thoughts was "who's the genius who decided to do this stuff during the day?"  A lot of highway work is done at night due to traffic. But then I remembered, I could have paid attention and either braved the Blue Bridge, or gone all the way out I-182 and back via 240.

Either way, it pays to listen to construction updates, especially when they are big and affect YOUR commute!

As of Tuesday, work was expected to be completed on time.

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