To the editor:

With the closure of County Road 1055 between North 700 Road and North 1000 Road due to construction of a new bridge, many drivers between Baldwin and Lawrence have elected to use East 1500 Road as their alternate route, rather than the designated detour of County Road 1057, I assume to save a few minutes and several miles on their vehicle. This alternate road is a narrow, unmarked paved road. Speed on this section of road is 30 mph between North 800 Road and North 900 Road; and 40 mph between North 900 Road and North 1000 Road – taking approximately four minutes to cover this two-mile stretch.

However, many of the drivers choose to speed on this section of road – usually 10 to 20 mph over the speed limit. Speeding an average of 20 mph reduces a driver’s time on this section of the road approximately one minute. If this one minute savings in time ensures you timely arrival at your destination, leave earlier! This is a school bus route, and children wait alongside the road. Is an accident or a life worth one minute of your time?

Ila Russell,

Lawrence