by Laura Evans

Till 2009!!! Ugh - this better be worth it!

Photo by Laura Evans

Access Denied.

The closing of the Live Oak Street exit (284C) on US-75 Southbound has been somewhat of a mystery in this city and in this office for a little while now.

At some point we realized we are, in fact, "reporters," so we took a vote and made someone dig a little deeper. I drew the short straw.

As it turns out, the closure is due to the DART Green Line Construction around the Bryan/Hawkins intersection. According to the DART construction site, two bridges in the area are being removed and the road is being lowered to street level. Therefore, the exit was shut down on June 17 and is not rescheduled to open back up until June 2009.

The left lane of US-75 Southbound has also been shut down starting at the Haskell/Lemmon/Hall exit. A DART official informed me that this lane has been closed off to provide a safety cushion for the Green Line construction site - the Texas Department of Transportation requires a certain distance of space between traffic and construction for precautionary measures. This lane will also not be reopened until June. June . . . of 2009.

From a cat-lover's Flickr

Little known fact: road rage is the number one cause of feline heart failure.

Alright, everyone say it with me now - NOOOOOOOOOOOO (insert profanity of your choice here)!!!!! For those who travel through this area regularly, this adds on a significant amount of time for driver commutes. (It now takes me 20 minutes just to get to the Lemmon exit from Walnut Hill & 75, where it only used to take me about 5 minutes).

DART officials suggest drivers regularly check construction progress on the DART construction site. You can also subscribe to the site to receive construction notices and updates for that area.

To get us through these next two years, allow me to suggest some relaxation techniques to avoid any possible road rage you might experience.

1. Sit or stand in a relaxed postition. (Sitting recommended for drivers)

2. Slowly inhale through your nose, counting to five in your head.

3. Let the air out from your mouth, counting to eight in your head as it leaves your lungs. Rinse and repeat.