There are many things to be thankful for this holiday season. For one, we live in a region with fairly low crime.

We are also fortunate to have good schools and nice parks, not to mention an assortment of local entertainment choices that range from concerts to high school plays.

Add one more thing to the list.

We’ll all be able to drive through Oakland Avenue East again.

The area has been closed since August to make way for a $1.6 million project that has transformed the section from an underpass to a level driving surface. This week crews from Ulland Bros, the Albert Lea-based company and the prime contractors, applied a temporary asphalt surface, which will be in place through the winter. In the spring or early summer, the surface will then be ground into an aggregate base before permanent concrete pavement is applied.

Steven Lang, assistant engineer for the City of Austin, said Oakland Avenue East will be open to traffic sometime around Thanksgiving.

Sometimes construction is an inconvenience that’s hard to adjust to, especially on days when we are in a hurry to get somewhere.

But construction can also mean the middle of a process that will make that portion of the city better once the work is completed.

Such is the case with Oakland Avenue East, and we’re glad to hear it’s about to reopen.