Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Summers Biggest Travel Screw Up



This had to cost beach businesses millions in sales this weekend.

Not to mention all those folks who could have have enjoyed a fantastic Labor Day weekend at the beach, but decided to pass when they heard about the bridge.

It is unbelievable and sad but true. The geniuses in the Maryland Department of Transportation have decided that it is so important to reinforce the guard rail on the eastbound Bay Bridge that they are closing one eastbound lane over the Labor Day weekend.

It is not uncommon for the state Transportation Department to close portions of major highways during holiday travel periods. It has done so frequently. However, this action is almost beyond comprehension.

Do officials really think that someone is going to crash through the deteriorating barriers in the next few days? No one went through the barrier in the several decades prior to the recent crash, and no one has gone through since.

And why didn't transportation officials discover the structural deficiencies of the barrier before the accident?

I headed down on Saturday, expecting the typical Saturday day backup, but there was only one car ahead of me in the toll lane. I thought this isn't going to bode well for business the 2nd busiest weekend of the summer.

I was right. Bethany was extremely quiet for a summer weekend, especially Labor Day.


To placate those travelers on Friday who were stuck with not one but two lanes closed they dropped the tolls for about three hours.

Monday the bridge officials finally come to their senses (where was this common sense on Friday) as they had all the lanes open.

Unfortunately too late to save the weekend.

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