consider yourself warned

URS, you just made my list.

apparently "one of the largest engineering design services firms worldwide" is doing this little intersection reconstruction job up in markham at the corner of hwy. 7 and ninth line... now normally, something like this wouldn't concern me whatsoever but it's right smack in the middle of my daily commute.

fortune magazine's #4 engineering and construction firm (according the the URS site) can't even handle a little paving.

first, they've been at this job at least since the beginning of the summer... first they tore up all the road approaching the intersection and restored them. but then they proceeded to tear up half of that when they went to do the intersection and even more for the new turning lanes. idiots.

secondly, their site maintenance is atrocious. their traffic control measures are all over the place and obviously not checked daily. also, there is dirt and dust from the construction areas spilling out all over the road.

third, time is obviously a factor in this construction and the mild weather lately has been saving their ass in terms of productivity. if the snow had settled in like it usually does around this time of year, they would have to shut down for the season, leaving the piss-poor condition for drivers to navigate throughout the winter. anyway, they are ALWAYS working out there... through BOTH rush hours. it's not the 401 but hwy. 7 is a major commuting connection is markham from the east. and they SHOULD know the traffic volumes in the area because there was traffic counting equipment on the road in the spring before construction started. MOST road jobs have a specification that prevents the contractor from doing major works during peak times... apparently the people using the road come in a distant second here.

the straw that broke the camel's back came last night... my commute time was doubled due to the fact that THEY WERE PAVING THE INTERSECTION AT 5PM! who does that? they were in there blocking live lanes of traffic, crawling along with the paver! i couldn't believe it.

additionally, they had condensed traffic in every direction to one lane only. that's only one lane for everyone making left and right turns and going through. the left hand turners particularly fuck things up because if they can't go then no one behind them can go either. there would be lights where only 1 or 2 cars got through. and usually when it was clear of other cars to turn left, the paver would be right in the way prevent progress.

THEN, their signage was all fucked up too... back of the intersection, they had posted a sign showing that the right lane was ending. so everyone, except those ass-wads who think they're better than everyone else and go jetting up the ending lane and then tuck their car in at the last second in a space much too small, is getting into the right lane... but then as you actually get to the intersection, it's the left lane that's closed. so now EVERYONE needs to get back over and the ass-wads, because everyone is SO beneath them, aren't letting anyone in!

and more yet! this was only the base coat!
final paving still needs to be done!
i would say that i can't wait to see how they can fuck it up further but i think i will be finding an alternative (but likely slower and less direct) route home to avoid having a blood vessel burst in my brain.