Highway repairs are a necessary evil in any area whose economy depends on tourism. Decent pavement is essential, yet achieving it inconveniences visitors and locals alike. And, inevitably, construction season coincides perfectly with tourist season.

Oregon’s Transportation Department, however, deserves praise for minimizing the pain in Coos Bay this summer. By heeding local concerns and working mostly at night, the department is pursuing its project with as little disruption as possible.

As The World reported on Tuesday, road crews have begun preparations to repave U.S. Highway 101 through Coos Bay, and to replace sidewalks north of Market Avenue. Most of the heavy work on the $2.9 million project will take place in July and August.

These months, of course, are prime tourist months. But the state has arranged to have its most disruptive work out of the way before then. The Coos Bay-North Bend Visitors & Convention Bureau specifically has asked the department to work around key tourist events such as July’s Sand Fest.

Most importantly, the department is scheduling most of its work between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. That will minimize the inconvenience for tourists — and the potential harm to local businesses.

With the possible exception of small boys, who adore heavy equipment, nobody enjoys road construction. This summer’s work is going to be annoying and inconvenient. But the Transportation Department appears to be doing all it can to ease the discomfort, and a smoother highway is a welcome payoff.