Camping with construction workers

Each morning we're awakened at 4:30 and 5:30 respectively as the night shift returns to the campground and the morning shift leaves. The men are working on a new bridge to replace the one currently connecting Middleport, Ohio with Mason, West Virginia and a new access route from OH 7 to that same bridge.

When you drive past construction workers on the highway you're more likely to curse the delay rather than think about their lives but it can be a lonely occupation. These men aren't always locals who return home each day, but sometimes come from companies located out of state who have to live in motels or campgrounds until the job is finished. So many of them live in trailers in campgrounds (or in a semi-cab like the picture above) so they can have some of the comforts of home, like a little space to move around and a kitchen and bath. Our first introduction to construction workers living in a campground came outside of Bangor, Maine where a large group was working on a natural gas pipeline that was being laid from Maine all the way into Nova Scotia, Canada. It was summertime, so many of their wives and children were staying with them but would be leaving at the end of summer to return to their permanent homes for school. If I remember correctly, that meant a long drive back to St. Louis, MO for the wives.

Most of the men here seem to be on their own--a lonely existence for sure. This area is remote and the biggest excitement for the weekend is the Sternwheeler festival on the river. We drove by there Thursday and the festival consisted of about 6 vessels that appeared to be pontoon boats crafted to look like old fashioned steen-wheelers and a row of about as many food booths and craft tents. A sad little festival for the sad little town of Pomeroy.

Tuesday we'll move on, leaving behind our rumbling diesel engine early morning wake up calls. We don't begrudge the noise because we know we're only here for a week and they'll have to be here for months with only their co-workers for companions. It's nice to have the option of moving on.