Now that the days are shorter, the evening rush hour is already coinciding with darkness. And that makes it even more dangerous in the construction zone between Pontiac and the Macomb County line.

This multi-year project is a welcome improvement to one of the worst stretches of pavement in SE Michigan. But from the beginning travel in the construction zone has been marred by excessive speeding, reckless and intimidating driving and lack of police enforcement.

Now that the largest portion of the work is drawing to a conclusion, all of us who drive it regularly are holding our collective breaths. We are hoping that no terrible and fatal accident will yet result from the project.

I attribute the good record thus far to dumb luck. Too many drivers ignored the no-passing lanes and the speed limit, and too few police ever showed up to enforce the laws.