During the months following the closure of Devil’s slide in March, it seemed that life for residents of Half Moon Bay would be compromised for an undetermined amount of time. For a while, it felt like we would be isolated forever. The pressure on businesses grew, and the patience of residents dwindled. The news of the slide reopening an entire month early felt like a godsend. The announcement spewed new life into the close-knit coastal community. It was definitely reason to celebrate. After what seemed like an eternity, we were finally free to roam north without inconvenience again. It’s funny how important one eight mile stretch of windy road can be to a small town. What is strange though, is how was Caltrans able to do it? Many residents spread rumors of how the reports of Caltrans working 24/7 were false and that they in fact were not working at all at night. Then they found that the work on the slide was near finished and many locals began driving over the road at night weeks before it was reopened. This discovery led many locals to assert more pressure on Caltrans to officially open the road again.And low and behold, on August 4, a whole month ahead of schedule, Devil’s slide reopened to hoards of commuters and tourists, and Half Moon Bay was back to business as usual. Though the reopening is a blessing in many ways, I kind of miss the sound of silence and the sight of an empty highway. But it sure feels great to be cruising over the slide again, and I definitely am glad not to have to commute over 92 and sit in traffic for hours anymore. It is certainly impressive how Caltrans was able to get so much work done in such little time, and I applaud all their efforts.