Figuratively speaking, especially if you are a Michigan resident, the state has been "attacked by the orange barrels" for about six years now. For the uninformed, it means the state has made up for over 30 years of inactivity by hurriedly fixing the deplorable roads in the state, which were once ranked the worst in the country.
The ultimate goal was to have 90% of the roads in passable shape by the year 2010. There is progress, but at ultimate costs: detours extrodinare and much driver headache. Don't even ask about conditions when the actual detours are being repaired. Freeways have received the most attention, and there are times entire stretches of freeway are closed for two or three days at a time as they commence around-the-clock work.
What bothers me is that sometimes, the road being entirely closed is not necessary. In a three-mile stretch, there may only be a half-mile area of "impact", meaning the rest of the road is passable. Why inconvenience drivers more than they already are? Note that I do not condone the old "cold-patch" with asphalt as is normally done here. I'm suggesting digging up the impact areas only, patch those with good ol' concrete, level it off, and have the road look like it did 30 years before, without the massive construction costs and headache.
It's happened on Michigan Avenue near my house this past June & July. At first I thought it was a complete makeover, which would spell trouble for that busy stretch of street. Within six weeks, however, the project was done, exactly the way I had just mentioned. I took the entire route to see for myself yesterday, and it was smoother than in cases where the road had been totally replaced.
Did the governor's office over-react when they put this "big fix" into effect? Not necessarily - I for one was tired of getting the suspension in my car adjusted every thousand miles. The over-reaction lies in how they go about fixing it; trying to be so perfect. In effect, the only thing perfect is the annoyed attitude drivers get over lane shifts & detours.
Are we taking pictures of these "success cases", people? I'm sure Michigan, cheap & poor as it is, would like encouragement to save money.
