Color trends rotate in waves. They are often repetitive.
One year it’s all about black-and=white combinations. Another it can be adding shades of pink to add pops of color.
Well, if brown is the new black in the fashion world this season, then orange is the color of the summer.
Not just any orange, but construction-cone orange. It can be seen on every corner and roadway.
Construction projects have dominated the area. It might seem like this is the case every summer, but to me it just seems like there is more construction this summer than in previous years. You can’t escape it. Whether walking on the sidewalk or driving on a residential street, this is definitely the year of repairs and maintenance.
I guess it’s just a necessary feature of summertime. After all, it’s Minnesota and construction projects are somewhat limited during the winter months.
The state is expected to complete more than 300 projects this year. The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s 2012 construction program consists of 316 projects throughout the state with a construction cost of more than $900 million. The total project costs for 2012 is $918.7 million.
Area cities plan construction projects year-round and when the heat arrives, work picks up for public works departments and transportation agencies. St. Joseph is not exempt from repairs during the summer. I’ve counted at least four times that I’ve seen crews working along East Minnesota Street.
I live in St. Cloud and have to take Minnesota Highway 23 often. On some parts of the highway, it’s a smooth ride with the expected delays from its many traffic signals. In other areas, not so much the case as you are going 10 miles per hour to strategically get through rows of winding construction cones and navigating countless detours.
As we bake during the numerous heat waves we’re having, I salute those workers who are not only roasting with me but who do so while laying black top on a road, sealing cracks in the pavement and/or filling the pothole lurking down the street waiting to introduce itself to the bottom of our cars. Thank you for what you do!
Road work is a must and it is not for everyone. If I am whining about the heat in my seasoned 1995 Buick Regal whose air-conditioning works when it feels like it, then I am clearly not cut out to do construction work in 80-plus degrees.
While it might be a nuisance to drive around the many orange cones while a road is widened or utilities are updated, I try to remember the end result. Sure, it’s annoying to have to wait that extra 15 or 20 minutes during the morning commute to the office, but we will appreciate it come winter. This can be hard to think about when you’re running late for a meeting or trying to make an important appointment. Remembering the after-effect of the sea of orange that surrounds us can make it a little easier to tolerate traffic delays and combined shut-down lanes this summer.
Travel safely.