The past weekend's permanent closing of the Main Street Viaduct went smoothly enough. So did Monday's start of demolition of the old bridge, which will be replaced by a modern, four-lane span scheduled to be completed in November 2006.

But for the next 15 weeks, until the northbound side of the new bridge is ready for one lane of travel in each direction - ending the necessity of detours - "patience" must be the key word for motorists. Patience will go a long way toward making the absence of a usable Main Street viaduct more bearable.

To their credit, most drivers traveling in and around the city during the business day Monday seemed remarkably in touch with their responsibility to "keep cool" regarding the traffic conditions amid the hot, humid weather conditions. Those who might have been frazzled about their unfamiliarity with the posted detours for the most part didn't show it.

The state Department of Transportation exhibited good judgment in dispatching traffic engineers to the city Saturday and Monday to monitor traffic and determine whether any adjustments were necessary. That PennDOT plans to continue that monitoring activity should be reassuring to business, comercial and other travelers who routinely travel city routes.

Area police departments also have a major responsibility in regard to the detours. In addition to observing traffic flow and advising PennDOT about any fixable problems that they see, the police should not tolerate actions by motorists that are unnecessarily detrimental to smooth traffic flow.

Just like police in bigger cities such as Pittsburgh do not tolerate motorists who drive into the middle of an intersection when their traffic signal is turning red, knowing that they will block the intersection for traffic getting the green light, so too should Butler area police not tolerate that tactic amid the current detour scenario.

After the old viaduct was closed to vehicular traffic Saturday, people on foot had the opportunity to get some final glimpses of the city from the bridge, and get a last look down at what has been underneath the bridge for years, if not decades.

Then, at 7 a.m. Monday, Butler businessman Al Worsley had the honor of being the last pedestrian to cross the bridge, before the demolition workers began their task of making way for the new span.

In the final analysis, the viaduct closing can be a minimal inconvenience or something much worse - every person who used the old span will make that determination for himself or herself.

It will all boil down to patience, whether patience prevails or is quickly forgotten.

Everyone has a role in what the outcome will be.