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Plenty of back-slapping good feeling could be found the other day during groundbreaking ceremonies in Farmington for the resurrected Legacy Parkway.
And with good reason!
Legacy is a road that is desperately needed. After years of bitter battles that divided communities, special interest groups and politicians, construction is finally, once again, underway.
With all of the excitement, though, let's not forget what it took to get to this point.
Let's not forget how some political leaders and bureaucrats jumped the gun and forged ahead with the project years ago before all of the i's were dotted and all of the t's were crossed.
Let's not overlook what that mistake cost taxpayers - more than $238 million.
Let's not disregard the community strife it caused and the way rancor, acrimony and enmity infested significant segments of the populace.
On the positive side, let's remember what can happen when those with widely divergent views come to the table of compromise and find resolution for the benefit of all.
Legacy's lessons are plentiful, and if they can be applied to future public works projects in this rapidly growing state, the Parkway's legacy will be much more than that of being merely another vital transportation corridor.
