Every return to Amarillo brings new discoveries for us, such as our most recent venture to the city we called home for more than two decades.
The latest discovery deals with road construction. Suffice to say, the slogan that the late Stanley Marsh 3 was fond of displaying ā āRoad Does Not Endā ā needs a slight change ā¦ to āroadwork does not end.ā
Wow! The Loop 335 extension along Helium Road is a monstrous project that to my eyes looks to beĀ yearsĀ from completion. Same for the work that the Texas Department of Transportation is doing along the southwestern quadrant between Soncy Road and Georgia Street.
Oh, and how about Interstates 40 and 27? Iāll say that our return enabled us to haul our fifth wheel safely and without a hint of peril along I-40, as most of the work along its easternmost lanes is largely complete.
We didnāt around too much of the city during our most recent visit. We trekked to Canyon a couple of times and spent a glorious autumn day hiking in Palo Duro Canyon. Getting from our RV park to those locations proved to be, um, a bit of a nerve-tester as we wound our way through the roadwork.
I want to offer a bit of friendly counsel to our many friends who must endure this seeming madness. Be patient. Please. Do not let your frustrations boil over.
I remember when this work was in the discussion stage. The state and the city haggled and dickered over what to do, when to do it and laid out the best-laid plans possible for a massive job.
That job is now underway. May it continue apace. Just remember, that theĀ āroadwork actually does end.ā Eventually.
Until next time ā¦
Iād just like to see one part of town finished. Right now, thereās no quadrant of Amarillo that doesnāt have roadwork taking place. Itās getting pretty common to have I-40 backed up for miles due to a wreck. This is generally during the weekdays.
I came back to town late last Sunday evening from the west on I-40 in our motorhome. Thatās the first time Iād had to take that area around Helium road on I-40. It seemed barely wide enough for our motorhome, especially the way they have it winding side to side. Luckily, Iād upgrade our headlights to LED so I could see well. I canāt imagine some of these semiās do that on a regular basis with all the construction across the country.
Safe travels!
I kinda get your point. Look at it this way, though: When they finish it all — possibly at the same time — the city’s transportation infrastructure will be tip-top from stem to stern. Patience is the order of the day.