By Staff
If you've tried to get around town lately, particularly on the west side, you may have noticed a couple of intersections that are closed. If one of those is on your regular route to work or home or wherever, you may have gotten a bit irritated at the inconvenience.
Craig Street at the railroad tracks has been closed for several weeks. Owens Street at the railroad tracks was shut down this week. In addition, Owens at Roberts is closed.
Add to this the railroad crossing maintenance that has been going on for a number of weeks, alternately at Main Street, Second Avenue and Wilson Avenue.
While the closings might make for a minor inconvenience, we'd much rather suffer that inconvenience than not have the much needed improvements that are in the works.
Who hasn't complained about the jostling felt when crossing rough and uneven railroad tracks? They're not perfect but they sure are better.
And who hasn't complained about flooding? The Owens Street drainage project may not be the end-all and absolute solution, but it's sure to bring some relief to flood-prone areas.
But we see the construction and maintenance as part of a bigger picture. When you go to a place and see work going on, it gives you a sense that something is happening there. Improvements are under way. There's a sense of bustle and busyness.
In the next few months, that busyness certainly will impact our operation here. Sitting on the corner of Main and Owens, we're sure to be inconvenienced by the Owens Street project.
Nevertheless, we're glad to see the activity around us, and if we have to detour, well, so be it.
Let's face it. Even if you have a detour in Atmore, it still doesn't take long to get anywhere in town.
So the next time you feel aggravation about those detours, weigh that against the aggravation you feel every time your vehicle bounces over the railroad tracks and the frustration and sense of helplessness having water invading your home due to poor drainage.
Temporary inconvenience is a price, but it's a small one when compared to our long-term gains. Thanks to our local officials who came to that realization.