Today was the day that the new Oakville Crossroad bridge, the bridge that makes it possible to reach Highway 29 from the Silverado Trail, was supposed to be completed. I say
supposed because, (like anything to do with government it seems), the bridge is not yet finished. Shocker! Closed due to a small 4.1 earthquake that occurred on May 21st of last year, this was the first time I had driven up close to the bridge since the day before the temblor struck. So, for the past 8 months, if I had had the sudden urge to treat myself to a latte, or a $15.00 bar of chocolate from the Oakville Grocery, I would have had had to endure an almost 17 mile round trip instead of the usual 3 miles.
Citing rainy weather (damn you, El Niño), the Napa County Public Works Department has said it needs several consecutive dry days so that it can finish striping the lanes, etc. The new opening day, for the $5.2 million bridge, has yet to be announced. Sigh.
I am thinking, perhaps, that if a few English workies had been on this particular construction project that the Oakville Crossroad bridge would have been finished on time. If the English continually had to wait for rainy weather to be absent for several days on end we'd never get anything built. Thud recently finished building this
Gothic cottage. There was no playing around, Thud built his bothy come rain or shine.
