I-110 project already has me blue in face

Did you hear about the guy who appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show last week and set a world record -- 17 minutes, 4 seconds -- for holding his breath?

The incredible feat was accomplished by David Blaine, a 35-year-old magician. Submerged in a water tank before Winfrey's live studio audience, Blaine broke the previous record of 16 minutes, 32 seconds set Feb. 10 by Peter Colat of Switzerland.

To prepare for the attempt, Blaine inhaled pure oxygen for 23 minutes before sinking under water.

In a way, the motorists of Santa Rosa and Escambia counties have been holding their collective breath waiting for the seemingly endless 6.3-mile Interstate 110 highway project to be completed in Pensacola.

When my family and I moved to Pensacola in 2004 -- just eight weeks before Hurricane Ivan, I might add -- the I-110 spur already was undergoing its makeover. Orange barrels, bumps, turns, twists and potholes greeted the Culpeppers as we drove in tandem toward our new abode in Gulf Breeze.

Saturday, on the occasion of my oldest daughter's 21st birthday, my family and a guest traveled the I-110 corridor twice during a day trip to Mobile, Ala. Although there has been some progress made, this particular stretch of highway coming and going was like driving through a mine field. Signs warned of water standing in the roadway from the morning's rainstorm. Bumps rattled our car's undercarriage. The five of us swayed, much like one does on a carnival ride, as we negotiated the many abrupt lane shifts. Thank goodness for seat belts.

The project is supposed to be finished in October. When that glorious time finally arrives, the highway might turn out to be the most magnificent piece of roadwork in Florida history.

But with construction continuing to creep along at an injured snail's pace, I seriously question whether we'll ever be able to drive on a smooth, finished product.

In other words, I'm not holding my breath.