[OPINION] Another Look At Post Road Project

As the owner of the Double L Farm Stand, Lloyd Allen is directly impacted by the Post Road East renovation project.

It started last month. It will last last least 2 years. And — with big machines, barrels and noise — it’s taking place right in front of his store.

One sign near the Double L Farm Stand …

But his take is not the teeth-gnashing, eye-rolling, middle-finger-pointing you’d expect. Lloyd says:

The other day I was chatting with the policeman on duty. I told him that if anyone came into Double L complaining, I’d tell them to save it and keep it outside.

His matter of fact response: “Yeah, it’s Westport. Traffic’s bad everywhere“

Yes! It is bad, especially summertime. It gets worse by the day.

But hey, all this traffic is a testament to the fine community Westport has become. It’s a nice place to live. A nice place to bring up your kids. I know change can be tough. Real tough when it crimps your style — especially your driving style.

Early on I have to admit I too had a little dread. Then I decided to find the positive sides to the situation.

… and another.

What may not be immediately apparent is that when finished, this crew will have fixed a drainage problem in a low-lying area of Westport. In the past some residents found themselves stranded in deep waters, cars flooded, further down the Post Road.

Then there’s this: Just last week, a DayGlo vested man walked into The Double L. I asked his position on the project. He said he was foreman on the night crew on the Merritt Parkway (“I’m one of the guys everyone yells at every night there”).

He added that he had a meeting with the foreman of the Post Road project. He’s a real gentleman too, as are all the men working on this project.

I’ll go even further. These guys are artists, all working together to create a beautiful roadway. Take a look! Engineering a road is no easy feat.

Lloyd Allen, at the Double L Farm Stand.

When I was over on Kings Highway North, I ran an ad in the paper with this lead line: “I’ve Been Driving By For Years, and Finally Decided To Stop.”

That’s what’s happening now. People have to slow down. They go slower, pull in, and are pleasantly surprised at their roadside find.

The last sentence on that old newspaper ad read: “Hey, I haven’t see you in a while.”

The response was: “I’ve been too lazy to take a left.”

One more thing: I’ve noticed that most of the time the line of traffic out here moves faster than the one at Starbucks. I’ve been in both.

See ya when I see ya!