C.R. road construction, detours are unbearable

According to the City of Cedar Rapids Preliminary List of Street Segments in Need of Rehabilitation/Reconstruction, out of the 116 identified reconstructions, articulations 1-48 are sites planned to be completed within the next 10 years. Other roads that need to be reconstructed are sections 49-116. Street segments 1-19 are already paid for or are getting paid for, and the rest are unfunded. Commuters of Cedar Rapids will have to deal with this never-ending road construction.

As an employee downtown, I find road construction to be annoying after taking many detours. To avoid all the construction between First and Third avenues, I take the Fifth Avenue exit off Interstate 380, but little did I know that it will become a closed road. As a new resident to the Cedar Rapids area, I recently asked myself, “Have I finally found the ideal way by taking 12th Avenue SE because it keeps me away from those annoying orange cones? No!”

As I started to work one day on this new “dream” route, I came across road construction on 12th Avenue SE, via Metro High School. I was detoured to Eighth Avenue SE, right back to the construction I was trying to avoid! To my delight, one day construction appears complete, but the next day it's closed again.

If my tax dollars are funding this nonsense, city road planners and crews need to think about commuters' lives and finally get the road construction finished. Please.

Kristi Warnstaff

Cedar Rapids