Hodgen

This is not a happy friendly post , so.............. just warning you. You can skip it if you want.

I feel the need to complain. My routine has been disrupted. Not just a little, A LOT. ElPaso County department of transportation has deemed it necessary to widen and alter Hodgen Road. More than a little remodel. They closed it totally and completely until sometime between Aug and Dec. That is 6-10 months!!!! This is one of our major cross streets. This is my main route out of here for school, grocery, friends, church, etc.

Ok, it really does not need it. It is fine. They just paved it a couple years ago and it is still fine. Oh, the traffic is getting more, but really in the 5+ miles of it I drive 6 times a day I rarely see more than 10 cars if that. I would not call that a busy road. Sure it is two lane. The two lane secions of Hyw 83 that I drive 6 times a day are much more heavily trafficked. In fact I have witnessed and been threatened by careless, hurried drivers more than occasionally on that road. Rarely on Hodgen. Are they going to widen 83? No.

Ok, a little detour. Or maybe not so little. I checked it out. From my house I add 15-20 min and about 5 miles  to do my shopping, go to church, a friends house, take my daughter to Bible Study, etc.... 15-20 on top of the 20-25 it already takes me!!!!!! To school it is not as bad so I will use that example. It is 2 miles  and 5 min extra one way. I drive it about 6 times a day. That is 12 miles longer. That is a little more than half a gallon of gas. So in one week (if I am only driving to school and church) I use 8 gallons of gas more than usual. Let's see now, the price of gas is $3.15 per gallon. If I have to continue to do that detour for just the 6 months that is $605 in extra gas spent (at the least amount of driving) on a detour for an unnecessary project. I usually fill up once a week. I am having to fill up more often. In fact, I should not have needed gas until tomorrow but had to get gas on Wed. I am not feeling very friendly toward the county right now. And that is just the money..... time is money too, but I won't calculate that out right now.

IF they had left open the intersection at Hodgen and Black Forest Road I would be up only slightly on cost and time. But, no they have to do it so that hundreds of rural families have to take VERY lengthy detours to get where they go everyday. I think they ought to pay US. I think I need reimbursed for undue burden.

There are two detours and I have used the least direct and most well maintained route for this example, because that is the one I will be using. The other is closer and likely fewer miles but the time is longer due to the rural nature of the roads. Not to mention that they did not bother to up the maintenance on these roads prior to them becoming the major transportation detour. The roads on this detour are partly dirt, wash boarded after the winter months, and partly paved. You know the normal rural rutted, uneven, really narrow two lane, paint worn off sort of paved. I would think the residents along that road would have appreciated a paving job rather than all the extra traffic they are getting. The speed limit is reasonable for the terrain but the huge amounts of traffic re routed through there are going far above the limit on roads not maintained to go above 35-40. I got tail-gated in the dark, you know so close you can't even see the head lights, along the majority of the 15 miles it took to get home by a car wanting to go over the limit but not willing to pass. I go the speed limit, especially in the dark. Oh, and there aren't any pull overs. Going this route I pass our house twice but can't get to it. I have to go around it by several miles. Frustrating to say the least. It is like we are at the end of a 5 mile long cul-de-sac with no other outlets.

Ok, I know, it could be worse. I know, I have entitlement issues regarding this. I know I need to be patient, grin and bear it, etc.....

I'll get used to it, but right now I am feeling a bit like a growly bear.