Editorial: Bridge reconstruction badly needed at Moores Mill

Motorists who used Moores Mill Road from the south of Interstate 85 as a work-morning thoroughfare to Auburn are expected to have another headache to endure once they approach the bridge that spans the highway.

Road construction.

The orange barrels and flashing yellow lights will more than likely come out within two years and traffic on the narrow bridge will be congested and some folks’ patience might wear thin.

But before people get hot and bothered sweating about the future road construction in this area and the effect it could have on traffic flow, let us remind you of one thing: it’s already congested there.

Sometimes cars are lined up from the intersection of Moores Mill Road and East University Drive far beyond the bridge close to the Grove Hill subdivision.

If you’re in a hurry to get to work, and you’re bumper-to-bumper on a two-lane bridge moving a few feet at a time, it’s easy to understand how one can get frustrated.

Even more, it’s easy to understand why this bridge construction project must be completed. Auburn city engineer Jeff Ramsey believes the proposed new bridge will include a five-lane road with a turn lane in the middle, which will greatly take the traffic pressure off of the current two-lane setup.

Cost for the project, which Ramsey felt would take between a year and 18 months, is an estimated $4 million.

Construction may look ugly for a while, but it is very necessary in this case.

More times than not, construction projects inconvenience motorists to some degree and this one should be no exception. But the current morning congestion in this area is an inconvenience of its own and residents using this path to town should be pleased with the finished project.

Continued development south of Interstate 85 in Auburn toward Beauregard has turned Moores Mill Road into a major artery. When an artery is clogged, it either needs a bypass or stent.

Consider the future bridge/road widening a stent and an investment in the area’s future growth.