“We’ve all got to suffer for it to get better.”

Wise words offered by longtime Troy businessowner Martha Lynn Drinkard whose Brundidge Street location means she’s battling street repairs and traffic delays.

Even though the project has been ongoing for months, when repairs ramped back up on Thursday most folks were caught off guard. Finding themselves stuck in lines waiting for a pilot car so they could navigate the one lane of open traffic, or bouncing along unevent and gutted surfaces, drivers were understandably unhappy.

But while we may fume at the inconvenice and fuss in frustration, Drinkard’s attitude is one we should all adopt.

Yes, the repairs are inconvenient. Yes, they’re lengthy. And, yes, we haven’t always had the best communication to help prepare for detours and adjustments.

The facts are simple: Motorists should do all they can to avoid Brundidge Street and its feeders: Park and Pecan among them. Folks who must travel that way to work or home have long become accostumed to using back roads: Hanchey, Brundidge Avenue, Park Street. Now, traffic on those roads is increasing and becoming more dangerous.

And motorists who do have to travel the Brundidge Street area need to settle in, take a deep breath, and plan to leave early for their destination. Then adopt Drinkard’s advice as a mantra: “We can’t complain about progress.”