Madison Leaders Confused on Keystone Pipeline

Evidently Madison hasn't noticed any boost in business from the Keystone pipeline.

An eager reader points out an odd line in an MDL story about the city's otherwise reasonable discussion about designating Madison's Highway 34 bypass as an actual bypass:

Commissioner Nick Abraham and Mayor Gene Hexom predicted that SD-34 would see heavier oversized-load traffic in the future when construction of the TransCanada Keystone oil pipeline starts. Hexom proposed havng a meeting among city, county and DOT officials and letting the parties find a solution [Chuck Clement, "City, County to Meet on Oversized Trucks, Bypass Use," Madison Daily Leader, 2009.11.10].

Um, Nick? Gene? Chuck? Haven't you fellas been paying attention? Work on the Keystone Pipeline was in full swing at the end of August.

And if you're thinking of Keystone XL, which will cross Highway 34 278 miles from here and plunk Pump Station 18 near where 34 turns to cross the Cheyenne River Valley, I'm thinking the truckers hauling more Indian steel and other pipeline gear will prefer I-90.