Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The road to nowhere

Once the new asphalt and lane stripping was down on Grant Line Road you think things would be better there right?  Wrong.  Take a drive down east Grant Line Road between Holly Drive and East Avenue if you want to see a messed up section of roadway.
 Now the road itself isn't too bad but it’s the marking they put down are horrendous.  The four lane stretch of road has been marked for one lane only heading east and west.  A vast no-mans land occupies the center area. A myriad of cones, double yellow lines and turn lanes that looked like they were drawn in by a 4-year-old with a box of crayons adds to the roadway confusion. I’m not sure if this is permanent, maybe this is just to punish residents and business owners for being foolish enough to want to drive Grant Line Road.  It is a bit disheartening after months and months of having the crappiest roads in Tracy to now having the crappiest marked roads in Tracy.  How do I know we have the worst you ask?  Let’s look at the turn lanes.

I’m not sure who put these turn lanes in or why but they suck.  I think some contractor looked at the plans and said “screw it throw some paint down there” and then walked away.  There wasn’t much care taken.  How do I know?  The turn lanes don’t lead anywhere.  Honest to God they lead to stone walls.
 Not sure who was in charge, maybe it  was a blind man but the turn lane openings send drivers heading into stone walls at apartment complexes.  Between the slalom courses of traffic cones, the mysterious lane lines and the half assessed turn lanes Grant Line Road is an accident waiting to happen.  Drivers have no idea where to turn into the driveways; they just cross the yellow lines and dive through the asphalt expanse where they see an opening.  No signs to guide them, no nothing.  It’s Grant Line Road so you know it’s not a high priority.  I talked to a driver the other day who was confused she ended up doing a U-turn through an opening that was there.  No marking lead to anything just confusion.  And it’s not like the construction crews are there to lend you a hand.  When they aren't busy cutting up the road they just laid down the day before they are turning off water to the area residents without any notice. 

Yes it stinks to have to drive down Grant Line Road, it’s even  worse if you live or work there and have to drive it on a daily basis.  Just when they promise us a smooth ride ahead they drop this lane disaster on us. Whenever I think of the Grant Line Road project I remember what they say at sporting events; “Nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts, we got SCREWED!”

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