It’s the time of year when road construction mandates temporary signs restricting or detouring traffic. I contacted MnDOT Engineer Scott Thompson to define what it all means. ‘Road Closed To ...

Temporary roads, however, ... Most “closures” involve no more than a gate or sometimes just a sign announcing that the road is closed.

Roads are also associated with higher human ignitions. Again, even closed roads provide access to areas that might otherwise not see human use. Then there is the issue of how roads affect fire spread.

The NC Department of Transportation has built a temporary road between Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. ... Though the “road closed” signs remain, the roadblocks have come down.