Woodbury Woes

I live on Woodbury Ave in Portsmouth, the portion which nearly ends with Islington, where our Keller Williams office is located, and where it looks more like 'The Road to Baghdad'. The city of Portsmouth has been working on this portion of Woodbury to extend the curbs inward and install sidewalks where there have been none. I knew about the project before it started and I was happy about it. We needed sidewalks. I would feel much safer strolling with my son on a sidewalk, rather than racing across a busy street to get to the smaller streets with a small child for our daily walk. So it was, and is, a good thing. And, of course, there is more to the project than just sidewalks.

There are also tickets. Lots of tickets and warnings. The police are directing traffic in this area and if you go one mph too fast, you WILL get a ticket. Check out the Portsmouth Woodbury Ave Improvements page on the city website. It lists how many tickets and how many warnings have already been cited!:

http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/projects/3.htm

Thankfully, I have not been one of the more unfortunate. The improvements page also lets us know that we may be nearing the end. Paving began today. And it does look like the Woodbury Improvement Project might be close to its finish. Then again, I never did get that degree in road construction. Joke.

Yesterday, while driving home, I pulled over in the middle of the construction to snap this sad picture:

This sign was on the corner of Woodbury and Rockingham. It is not much of a field, but a thin strip of land abutting the bridge. And I do not know the whole story behind the sign or the land or how the project is affecting this piece, but I do know it is a shame. Even if the improvements are for the best, it is difficult to watch any land be taken away from someone, regardless of compensation. Any thoughts?