Driving on the Long Island Expressway these days proves to be much more than the usual challenge. In fact, it's downright dangerous! As if record-breaking traffic, jams, and accidents were not enough, now we are faced with a new set of horrors associated with the never-ending construction.

With all of this construction comes massive pieces of equipment, groups of workers all along the way, narrowed traffic lanes, deleted road shoulders, temporary exits that seem to appear out of nowhere, and now chunks of ice and snow, all assuring that driving on the LIE is a real nightmare.

We just cannot imagine why the work goes on and on, yet nothing seems accomplished. As we said, driving is now a worse nightmare and the roads are in a terrible condition. Talk about challenges! Just try driving in the right or the left lane, now much too narrow and without a shoulder, and have a car (or a truck or an SUV) pass you. It just makes your heart stop.

Now try to exit the LIE. Exits are changed, and even though there are some signs, exit ramps seem much shorter and they do seem to appear out of nowhere. It takes all of your concentration to get off of the expressway --- you sort of begin to feel like ''Charlie on the MTA''; you can't get off!

So, please, until someone comes along and finally realizes that the LIE is now truly an accident waiting to happen, be very, very careful. Better yet, try to avoid the LIE. I do!

- Wendy K. Kreitzman