Construction woes for local business

Road construction season has arrived — and we all know how frustrating that can be for commuters. But imagine trying to run a business when your street has been torn up for month after month.

That’s been the case on Barton Street at Nash in Hamilton since last summer. And now some shop owners say it’s driving them out of business.

The situation is dire for some businesses along this stretch of Barton. While business owners say they understand the need for improvements, they dont think it should cost them their livleyhood.

It’s lunchtime and the sign says open but you’d never know it from behind the counter. Tim Prezeau says since this intersection was closed for a second time, to install a giant new watermain sales are down by almost 50 percent: “Things are getting really tough. I’m not sure we are going to survive at all”

It’s the same story at The Fool and Flagon. Lunch time and the place is nearly empty. They estimate the construction has cost them between 60 and 80 thousand dollars in sales so far.

And customers are frustrated too. David Puglio says a two minute drive has become a 25 minute run around: “I tried to go to Habitat for Humanity. I had to go down Woodward, make a u-turn, get stuck in traffic again at the Redhill, go back to Kenora to get to Nash.”

This water main replacement is just the first phase of a two year project that began in July 2013. It includes full sidewalk, curb and road reconstruction along Barton from Nash to Centennial.

Further up Barton, Richard Bond says all this construction has bulldozed a big hole in his sales: “Business has decreased 40 percent from last year. We get people coming in and I suggest they take the car for a test drive and they say no way, I’m not going back out there.”

With the odd exception, almost all the businesses along here are saying the same thing. Some are calling for compenstion from the city. Councillor Chad Colllins has ruled that out: “We could never afford to offer a tax reductions or similar programs. Again there isn’t another municipality in Canada that offers such a program it’s completely unaffordable.”

He says the city is spending a record 100 million dollars on essential infrastucture this year. This project is expected to be completed by the end of September and according to Collins it’s on time and on budget.

Councillor Collins says construction crews hope to have this intersection open by the end of the long weekend. So that should alleviate some of the problems for businessess here. But the rest of the road will still be torn up all summer.

Construction crews say it would help congestion if only people doing business in the area drive through here and others found an alternate route.