Fredericton — Fredericton’s busiest north-south intersection has been shut down for construction, leading to traffic snarls, long delays and, for one commuter, the “best excuse to be late ever.”
Troy Brunnell, a clerk with NB Power, is always looking for a good reason to be late for work. His commute from Fredericton Junction takes roughly 25 minutes on a good day. There are very few good days, however.
“I’m late like every single day of work. I’ve used every excuse in the book, and it’s worked so far,” explained Brunnell. “One day I called in late because the dog ran away and the kids were upset. Another day I told them I wouldn’t be in until 10 because the dog came back and now the wife was upset. I’ve used the dead grandmother thing, the dead battery excuse, too much snow, the cold, the flu, some crazy bug I brought back from the Dominican… but this road construction? Sweet Jesus, it’s perfect — I can use it as my reason for pulling in late all summer long!”
Anne Laurie, an engineer working at the construction site, provided clarification on the delays. “The work to replace the Regent Street overpass began on June 1,” she said, “and as with most capital projects, has no real fixed end date and will likely stretch on for months or years while going embarrassingly over-budget.
“To be honest, I expect to still be standing here next Christmas. Drivers are going to have to suck it up.”
Twitter users can track the discussion by using hashtags #Fredlock2016 or #IsTroyLateAgain.