News that culvert work will close Compo Road North between Cross Highway and Main Street beginning Monday — for 30 days* — has raised the specter of even-longer-than-usual delays from Coffee An’ to the take-your-life-in-your-hands Main Street/Weston Road/Easton Road intersection. And, of course, on side streets.
Alert “06880” Westporter Chip Stephens has a simple, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that?! solution:
Open Cross Highway to 2-way traffic, from North Compo to Main Street.
This short stretch of Cross Highway is now one-way. Temporarily opening it to two-way traffic could ease construction-related delays.
It’s not unheard of. Back when Chip — a 1973 Staples High School graduate — was a kid, traffic flowed both ways there. Now it’s eastbound only.
The temporary fix would not solve all of Westport’s traffic woes.
But it couldn’t hurt.
*Official estimate. If you believe that, I have a North Avenue Bridge to sell you.