Business owners frustrated roundabout project behind schedule
6:41 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The phone isn't ringing off the hook at the Create Hair Studio, but co-owner Laura Scott is grateful it rings at all.
“We're hanging in there,” she said. “It could be better, definitely.”
Scott has lost nearly half of her business because of the construction mess at 21st and Urish, a mess that she says hasn't seen much action until now.
“Every day you come and it's a nice day and you see nothing going on,” she said. “It's like you can see tumbleweeds going down the road.”
During the construction of a roundabout at 21st and Urish, the intersection will be closed down and detours will be marked. This map shows the route motorists can take.
The westbound detour will be from 21st and Wanamaker, south to 29th, west Indian Hills Road, back to 21st or 21st north to Huntoon, west to Urish, north to 10th and west on 10th.
The eastbound is the reverse. Urish detours (north, south) follow the same routes.
“It's a lot of reading books a lot of watching TV and just trying to encourage the workers out there to get the job done,” said Kelly Robbins, Sunsations tanning salon owner.
Robbins agrees that work on the project has crept to a crawl.
Wednesday, crews stayed busy moving utility lines, a project Robbins says was supposed to take two weeks. But because of the Manhattan tornado, work here got pushed back and now it's been two months.
Meaning, according to Robbin's timeline, the project is a month and a half behind schedule.
She says 21st Street was supposed to be open in mid-July, but now it won't be open until September.
“It’s very frustrating because we can't plan ahead,” Robbins said. “If it lasts two to four more months, I don't know how anyone could survive that long with no business.”
Both Robbins and Scott say opening 21st would've given their businesses some new life.
Until then, they say loyal customers are keeping their doors open. Both are offering construction specials and incentives for referrals. But no matter what happens, they're not giving up.
“It’s tight,” Scott said. “Were making sure were able to pay the bills, pay the wages all that stuff every month. As long as we can keep doing that, then we'll be fine.”
The 21st and Urish roundabout is scheduled to be finished in November.
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