You can’t judge a book by its cover. The closure of Nichols Road between the Highway-54 Expressway and the Osage Beach Parkway would appear to present a problem for ambulances on emergency runs trying to reach Lake Regional Hospital. However, the closure of Nichols Road does not necessarily mean it will take more time for ambulances to reach the hospital. On the contrary, travel times to the hospital taking the Case Road or State Road-KK exits could actually be a few seconds quicker, as long as there are not any delays for stoplights or traffic going into or out of any businesses along the way. The possibility of something happening in traffic and patient safety are also considered the main reasons for a new entrance to Lake Regional being constructed along the stretch of Nichols Road now being worked on. The work will take several weeks to finish.