Span near; cloud over drive to lift

Nothing is constant but change. — The poet

Dear Mahatma: A recent feature on traffic problems caused by the Broadway Bridge construction suffered from unfortunate timing. The heavy fog that morning made an already difficult journey even worse. I have noted that on a typical morning it takes from 12 to 15 minutes to drive exactly one mile, from Main and Seventh streets in North Little Rock to the intersection of Scott Street and Markham Street in Little Rock. — Crawling and Bitter

Dear Crawling: You reference a recent feature story in our newspaper. Yes, it appeared on a foggy morning. In traffic, as in life, timing is everything.

From the perspective of another North Little Rock resident who is often in downtown — yours truly — the traffic in morning and evening rush hours hasn’t been as bad as predicted by … yours truly. But some days, as you point out, are nightmarish. Our towns have been fortunate in that the winter was mild. More snow, or more rain, would have been brutal.

You must be happy now. The main lanes of the Broadway Bridge will reopen next week, fingers crossed, well in advance of the expected opening date. This, too, was expedited by the mild weather. More work remains to be done, but putting the new bridge in service will reduce much of the rush-hour bottlenecks. We hope.

Geography, it is said, is destiny. Rivers are beautiful impediments to automobile travel. The past few months have driven home that reality.

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. — Mark Twain

Mr. Mahatma: I was driving east on Chenal Parkway during morning rush hour. A school bus driving west on Chenal Parkway on the other side of the median stopped with its red flashing light on. The cars on the west side stopped behind the bus. The cars on the east side of the median continue on. Are these folks breaking the law? What is the law regarding stopping for school buses when a median separates east- and west-bound traffic? — Morning Commuter

Dear Bob: We looked up Arkansas Code Annotated 27-51-1005. The things we do for fun! (The exclamation point is meant to be ironic.)

It says drivers don’t have to stop for a school bus in the opposite lane if there is a median of 20 feet or more in width.

Life’s a booger, and then you get there. — Anonymous

Please note the new email address at the bottom. The Drivetime Mahatma will remain so, but has been otherwise invited by the newspaper to change his circumstances — an opportunity graciously offered and gratefully accepted.

Stuff happens, and things change, but this column goes on, with a 10-year anniversary around the corner.

So keep those emails pouring in. The Broadway Bridge will reopen, but good driving will compete with bad driving, traffic will always jam up, and together we will ponder the profundities of getting around.

Vanity plate seen downtown: LWYRDUP.