Today’s ride took me north along Midwest Boulevard and more or less along the Canadian River. I noticed last week the signs at the major section line corners north and south of the Canadian River saying the road was closed, bridge out. This time I was curious enough to take a look. The first image shows the concrete barriers across the road at the Crutcho Creek bridge.
The barriers left a gap that my bike could easily pass through, and after looking it over, the only damage to the bridge I could see was this guardrail. Given how the lawyers in these parts think, I’m not surprised they would close off the road for something this minor. Granted, it’s possible they are planning significant repairs or even replacement, but there’s nothing to indicate either way.
A fellow was sitting in a pickup near the southern barrier and told me he was there to make his weekly check on the railroad signal box. He told me that the barriers had been there for at last two weeks, but that no work at all had been done since they went up. That’s also typical for these parts. Try to imagine how the greenery growing on the edge of the road will encroach significantly without the traffic coming along to rip it off at the edge of the corridor. Already there are vines reaching out some three feet onto the pavement in places.
While I’m not equipped to do much of anything about that, I will note that I’ve been carrying my hand-loppers already the past few weeks, clipping back greenery in all the usual places I ride. I’ve already spent one day with bigger cutting tools at one spot. Time for some more serious cutting in other places.
Man, those barrier bends are all around here, no road blockages needed. If I were really paranoid, I’d say someone’s trying to hide something. But I’m, for sure, not that bad…
Bureaucracy creates some of the most inexplicable events.