It’s never as bad as you think. You always tend to make things worse out in your mind before it really happens.

Such is the case with the repaving project along Cahaba Road and Medical Center Parkway.

For months leading up to the start of the project we wrote about how much of a planning disaster and potential nightmare the paving project along Cahaba would be, considering all the additional traffic thrown onto the road by the ongoing bridge replacement project on Dallas Avenue.

It wasn’t that long ago we urged city leaders to work with Alabama Department of Transportation officials to delay the paving project until after the bridge work was done.

It seems like just days ago that we were writing an editorial urging patience and caution, as the project was imminent.

Well, it hasn’t been as bad as we thought. We made it out to be worse in our mind than it has been in reality.

In less than a week, workers with Asphalt Contractors have blistered through the hot weather and nearly completed the major paving work along Cahaba Road and they claim the repaving of Medical Center Parkway will be easier on traffic than the first part of the project has been.

Yes, those who need to drive along Cahaba Road on a regular basis — especially the middle of the day — have hit some delays, detours and snags. But, all-in-all, it has been relatively smooth.

The thanks for the relatively pain-free experience must go to Asphalt Contractors, the Selma Police Department, the city of Selma and everyone else connected to the project for the good planning done in advance.

We know there is plenty of work left, but based on what we’ve experienced so far, it really hasn’t been that bad.

It could have been worse.