U.S. 17 Bypass project embarrassingly slow

Does anyone remember the Minneapolis bridge collapse in 2007? That bridge was 2000 feet long and spanned the Mississippi river. It took 11 months to rebuild, with several months of severe winter and the heat of summer to contend with.

Now, I call your attention to the Glenns Bay-U.S. 17 Bypass construction project. I pass this site twice a day so, and it has become a sore spot for me.

They use every excuse for moving so slowly. I rarely see any progress. Plus, why was it necessary to offset the overpass so far out of line with the existing highway?

Whoever is responsible for securing road and bridge construction contracts surely is not concerned about time. It seems if they were to pay construction companies early completion bonuses, the job would go much faster. They have no incentive to rush.

I don't understand why our local officials have not been raising a stink about the slowness of the project. You can use weather delays only so much. Citizens, Please voice your concerns.

This story was originally published June 18, 2017 at 9:30 AM with the headline "U.S. 17 Bypass project embarrassingly slow."