Road construction is no fun for anyone.

The sight of orange cones and barrels lining the highway can leave anyone seeing red, knowing the traffic jams and longer detours that likely are to follow.

Yet as much as those orange markers can be a sign of a frustrating path ahead, they’re also a sign of progress. At some point, those cones will vanish and a smooth new patch of road will be left in their place, even if there’s a nine-month wait tacked on to it.

Such is the case with the latest phase of the Interstate 70 Bridges Project.

Last year, the westbound portion of I-70 near the Wheeling tunnel was shut down for a total bridge replacement. Now it’s the eastbound portion.

This affects drivers from Ohio and points west looking for a way into or around Wheeling, as they must seek an alternate route.

That’s life driving east likely for the next nine months.

The good thing –at least so far — is that the posted detours seem to be moving quickly. Traffic does get congested on National Road through Fulton at times, but we’ve neither heard of nor experienced any significant delays. And through-traffic seems to be utilizing the I-470 bypass to alleviate additional cars and trucks on our local streets.

Yes, detours stink. So does congested traffic. So do longer drive times. But remember, it’s a short-term problem for a long-term fix.

So when you’re headed east on I-70 in that area, try to stay calm. Plan on using another route. Leave the house a little early to make sure any traffic slowdowns don’t make you late for work.

A little added preparation can eliminate a ton of anger and frustration.