Digging Redux aka Let's Dig It Up Again!

We're in London, continues...

One of the questions our friends asked us when we got back to London is whether the construction on our street is done. The answer is: yea, but no, but yea, but...

When we arrived, the water mains replacement work on our street was finished and traffic was moving once again. But the next day we noticed that traffic was not moving. The street was blocked off. They had made no progress on the sidewalk widening project while we were away and have apparently decided to start it up again. Now. Of course.

It looks like they are widening the sidewalk on both sides, or on one of the sides they are putting in a bike lane. Yesterday, they started digging up the actual street which looks like they are planning to resurface it. Or not. We won't know until they get around to doing it which will be... in... er... eventually. I really believe they could have done the various projects at the same time, rather than digging it all up multiple times. But they didn't '-)

Yesterday, when we turned the corner we discovered the next street over is also having its sidewalk widened (now that is a great idea, it really really needs it). Lots of other streets are in various stages of being worked on and the chaos is quite impressive. In the taxi on our way home from Paddington last week the driver told us that it is more impossible than ever to drive around London because of all the construction. Everywhere we go the street is being dug up. I think it's mostly the desperately needed Victorian water mains replacement but there is a lot else going on, as well. I miss the mountain '-)

My favorite photo is the one with the two large trowels and a couple of tires. Did they dig up those tires? Did the tires fall off one of their machines? Have they been laying there since 1955? We'll never know.

Comments

[Jeremy]

Holy Shit! Well at least they are finally replacing that old ass stuff. That whole street is JACKED! I think the tyres are prob for laying machinery on or protection between metal shovels and machinery. Who knows, maybe they came off an original minicooper.. =0) I try to look your house up on Google maps cause I am a crazy stalker (so not! just kidding mrs jan!) and I try to find your houses. I think I might have found your building but who knows, I read like your entire blog for clues, I can find the building on Neal St. The old one that is. Cant see much from space though. Damn no shower scenes!-kidding =0) And in Marin I can find the road, but no house. Damn. I just get a kick out of it, hope it doesn't freak you out. I am harmless and would provide you with Drivers License if requested. I just want to see what it is like around you as it is like teleporting.

[sk]

funny post.... the great London street digging debacles! So embarrassing and depressing the way the various bodies of road-workers cannot combine their tasks and get everything done at once. The situation in Covent Garden is particularly crazy making..... the other day i got caught riding my bike to work in Neal's Yard. I came up from The Strand where I had to run some errands and ended up late for work because I could not find a way through the barriers on Long Acre....
good luck with your stay here - the difference between the vast open roads, vistas and spaces of your CA life and your time in London is quite something.