IDOT: Hazardous communication

Dear IDOT, I just want to express my sincere thanks for a job poorly done on the freeway closure Monday morning. I’m pretty sure that there was ample time for more roadside notification than merely posting uninformative guards at the on-ramps. After arriving an hour late for work, I learned that the spill happened Sunday. The only indication I had of the closure was as I approached the on-ramp. I utilize Highway 53 for part of my commute to Spokane Valley from Garwood.

“Why didn’t I know about it from the televised alerts?” you may ask. Well, you may be surprised to learn that in the information age there are still people out there who are not “connected.” Because of intense, unwanted advertising, I do not listen to the radio, or watch regular television; I pre-record all programs to skip through commercials, or I watch movies. I do not watch the “news” because it’s more about shock value than newsworthiness. And, believe it or not, I do not watch sports.

Highway 53 is the usual alternate route to the valley when there are issues on I-90, so why didn’t IDOT post detour signs, or personnel or at least some kind of information along the way? Commuters using 53 for part of their commutes and then transition to I-90 could have benefited from traffic advisories at McGuire, Pleasantview, Beck, and perhaps even Greensferry. I lost a full half hour on my commute getting “back” onto 53 after turning around at the I-90 on-ramp.

JAMES FRENCH

Hayden