COLUMN -   Two weeks ago, there was a report about what residents of Mossel Bay can expect over the next three months with the upgrades to the main transport artery of our town, Louis Fourie Road.

I live on the outskirts of town and seldom drive to town, let alone from town to Hartenbos, but last week I had to.

I found myself in bumper-to-bumper traffic, not unlike what we're used to seeing during the annual summer school holidays. I found myself thankful for less backed-up traffic once all the planned maintenance is complete.

Our roads are in pristine condition, with our municipality giving credence to any complaints needing attention. Personally, I think these upgrades are long overdue, especially with the exponential growth our town is experiencing on a monthly basis.

As a long-time local, what's become a regular morning commute for many from Heiderand in the direction of Mossdustria, or Hartenbos to Voorbaai is something reminiscent of December holiday traffic while I was still at school.

I got my licence shortly after the sinkhole occurred in Louis Fourie road in front of Boland Park in 1997.

Back then, even with the snaking obstacle course, marked by reflective chevrons, I couldn't envision Mossel Bay's population exploding to the point it has, requiring the progress it's getting now.

I will admit, I felt a pang of sadness driving to the hair salon at the entrance to Bayview on Saturday and seeing the remnants of the demolished railway bridge which has been a fixture for as long as I can remember.

For 12 years, I worked for a company in the small crescent just beyond that crossing. I remember a car being stuck in the water under that bridge when we had a torrential downpour in November 2007. Aside from the obvious better flow of two-way traffic resulting from the road being wider, there will likely be better drainage of run-off in the event of heavy rains. I'm just happy I have photos of the old bridge. When the new bridge, as mentioned in the article of a fortnight ago, is complete, I will snap a picture of the new one - the proverbial before and after.

It's going to get worse before it gets better (most things that are worth it follow this cycle), and there will no doubt be great deals of frustration while the upgrades continue, but a little patience goes a long way. We need to remember that all residents and visitors will benefit from these upgrades.

Let's be kind to each other and put on some good tunes to pass the time while we're waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

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