Construction no matter where I go

Construction season is upon us.

In fact, it has been here for at least a few weeks already. In my own little world, it seems like everything around me is being torn up, ripped apart and rebuilt.

For the purposes of this column, I’m going beyond road work in my definition of “construction season.” That includes the floor-to-ceiling renovation of the conference room just a few feet away from my desk, as well as the metal roofing installation at my apartment complex.

That first project started about a month ago, when my co-workers and I started to hear some unexpected clamor in the room next door. The project started with the removal of some fluorescent light ballasts, which made quite a clang when they hit the ground. Then there was some heavy-duty drilling sounds as new drywall went up. At some point, all of the carpeting was removed, and now we’re just waiting for everything to be put back together.

Then, there’s the re-roofing project at my apartment. When Linda and I first started hearing the sounds of work being done, it was distant and hard to pinpoint. The work crew had started on the other end of the complex, but the noise reverberated through the whole row of apartments. Once I saw a couple of people crawling around on the roof, I made the connection.

Of course, there was also the giant trench dug across Highway 13 (as pictured on the front page of last week’s paper). Safely negotiating that area on a bike was a little hairy at times, but it made me think more about which side of the street I was riding on when going to and from work. Plus, the work was over quickly, so there’s no more orange cones and concrete barriers to worry about.

That’s not going to be the case for long, however. A contract was just awarded last week for a major project on West Spruce Street, which happens to be where this office building is located. I’m already mentally preparing myself for not being able to fully access the main road that everyone comes in on. As my boss just noted, though, we do have a back way in and out. It’s a long, narrow driveway, so hopefully there won’t be too many awkward traffic jams during our morning or evening commute.

I try not to complain too much about construction projects. It’s important to take the long view on the work that’s being done, focusing on what the end result will be once the cacophony subsides and the dust settles. When this year is over, our office will have an upgraded conference room, my apartment will have a nice, new metal roof and the street I spend so much time on will be resurfaced and redesigned for better pedestrian safety. None of that would be possible without a little noise.

OUT FOR A WALK

KEVIN O’BRIEN

EDITOR