When I was a young-un and someone said “Let’s go tear up the town,” we hopped aboard one of those new-fangled trackless trolley busses and headed for the Trianon Ballroom for a night of dancin’ and flirtin.’

Today, tearing up the town takes on new meaning just trying to drive in and out of Des Moines and all points south. No matter which road we take from this little city, road constructions signs greet us.

It’s one heck of a mess.

I wonder why people even try, and feel for our small businesses that must be impacted. They have enough challenges with big take-over groups that swallow them up like soft chocolate candy or bite into their profits with bulk buying/selling powers.

And taxes -they’ve got ’em.

When I recently found myself caught in commuter traffic it was a real eye opener.

Have you tried getting in and out of Midway Shopping Plaza lately? Just the other evening when it was dark I headed to Blockbuster for a movie and Midway Subway to grab a sandwich. Leaving the plaza by my usual east exit/entry to Pacific Highway I expected to make a left turn and head north. Not so. Suddenly, those prolific bright orange cones surrounded me. Still, I knew the drill.

My signal was blinking a left turn and I was ready to hit the gas and peel out until someone’s headlights focused on the middle of the road ahead of me. I gasped at the sight of a big ditch where a left turn lane was the last time I knew. Whew! Close call! I almost planted me and my car in that wide-open ditch intended for trees in the middle of Pacific Highway.

“What the heck are these guys doing to our roads!”

There’s no way to avoid it. We’re surrounded. Frustration reigns.

Yet, here’s good road news.

Pacific Highway through Des Moines from about South 216th to Midway is finished and there are inquiries about development possibilities.

The bridge into north Des Moines should be finished by late June or early July, Des Moines Engineer Loren Reinhold said.

From Midway to South 272nd is a city of Kent project under Mark Hawlett, who said they expect an overall finish by May, including paving.

Pacific Highway is taking on a welcome new healthy identity. However, I would hope in the interest of safety and convenience there could be an improvement now before it is too late to the layout for “exit” access from Midway Shopping Plaza for Des Moines destinations. These exits require driving extra miles and appear accident-prone. There must be a better way.

So, what’s happening with downtown Des Moines? Here’s some current news.

The lighthouse at South 223rd on top of the Dugout Lounge, under construction for nearly two years, will be enclosed and hopefully finished in two months, according to owner Dr. Scott Andrews.

Stop by the new barbershop at that corner and say hello to Joel, the barber.

Des Moines Dog House is open during construction that adds a new dining deck and street view. The seamstress business is open. Balloon Wizard can be reached at 206-592-8122.

The former Butler Auto repair building may have a restaurant, Andrews said.

On the west side of Marine View Drive, Andrews purchased the building whose tenants are Spice Island store, E.C. Computer and Pretty Nails. It will be business as usual with no changes of these businesses, personnel and their owners. But the buildings will be updated.

Des Moines Cinema (theater) could be open by March, thanks to 35 terrific community volunteers who responded to a column I wrote and are helping operator Joel Thomson bring the building into code compliance.

So, spring is on the way. Our new roads should be open. Drivers with cell phones will overestimate their driving ability, and as a wise author once wrote:

“The two greatest hazards on the highway are drivers under 25 going over 70, and drivers over 70 going under 25.”

Smile - think spring!