All over Jackson, there are road closures, potholes, and construction. Opinions vary throughout the county regarding construction, ranging from positive to negative. Each piece of this construction has a purpose to serve in our community. However, what does this mean for future traffic?
Many people face issues regarding the latest construction in Jackson. This ranges from new and aggravating traffic patterns to the nervousness of driving around workers.
“One of the leading causes of car accidents in Michigan, as elsewhere, is distracted driving,” according to sevafirm.com. Distracted driving can range from changing the radio station to answering a phone call. This introduces a significant risk to both construction workers and drivers, as one distracted driver may accidentally sideswipe a worker or another vehicle.
Alongside the danger, construction is also loud and disruptive to those living near construction sites. This can change sleep times and aggravate those who have little kids. In addition, construction is not eco-friendly and can lead to polluted waterways, leading to more sickness.
“It (construction) is annoying because it sometimes puts me off time, it is never consistent,” Said Wesley Clark. Clark is in his 2nd year of bus driving and has faced complications due to construction all the while.
The dedicated bus drivers of Northwest High School (NWHS) run into an average of 1-3 issues due to construction each month. Thankfully, Billy Shevrovich, the Transportation Supervisor at NWHS, has spent multiple years handling bus routes and organizing transportation for hundreds of students. Shevrovich takes great care in these acts, but due to construction projects, many complications arise during the process.
“As far as construction affecting drive times, it will slow all traffic down,” said Shevrovich, “If we can, we will go a different way to avoid the construction, so hopefully we can get where we need to go a lot quicker.”
Fortunately, the road commission sends out Emails including time frames and maps of new construction, which helps with planning. If a parent has any comments, questions, or concerns about a route, they can communicate with the transportation garage via Blackboard, a system that will email and call a parent with any changes they need to know about.
Regardless of the negatives about the construction, it is necessary to shine some light on the good. Construction serves a good purpose in the sense of enabling easier travel.
“Newly paved roads give me a smoother ride throughout my route, it is pretty nice,” Said Clark. Things like the addition of new lanes add to quicker arrival times and help decrease the amount of frustration on the road. Construction leads to better access to remote areas and allows new paths for emergency services to travel.
There are numerous benefits and drawbacks of construction. Regardless of the opinions of the Jackson community, it is clear that this construction is essential to maintain the flow of society.
