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KEARNS — Road construction brings Utah drivers a nice smooth surface when it's completed, but in the meantime, local businesses are suffering.
One business owner in Kearns says she's down 50 percent since the construction projects started a few months ago. The main reason is it can be difficult to get around all the orange barrels and detours. So, it seems like people who normally visit these businesses are staying away.
"Yes, it's just killing us," said Diana Bird, owner of Durfey's Dry Cleaning. "I keep telling everybody, '2 more months. Just 2 more months, hopefully.'"
At good old fashioned Durfey's dry cleaning in Kearns, the sign in the window says open, but the reflection in the window says construction.
Bird has worked at Durfey's for the past 28 years, but has never seen something that has hurt business so bad. Since March, she says business has been cut in half.
"Yeah, we are in survival mode," Bird said.
Construction projects along 5400 South and Bangerter are making it tough for drivers to get around. It's not impossible, but it is inconvenient. Many businesses put up signs saying they are still open during the road work.
Bird has worked at Durfey's for the past 28 years, but has never seen something that has hurt business so bad. Since March, she says business has been cut in half.
"We don't want them to forget about us at all," said Nora McDonald, the manager of Stan's Market.
Stan's Market is a "mom and pop" grocery store set right in the middle of all the construction. Loyal customers still shop at their store, but McDonald says that lately most of the traffic has been drivers using their parking lot as a construction zone shortcut.
"We did expect it, but for maybe a little bit shorter period of time," McDonald said. "We didnt' know it was going to go on so long. They came in and said the end of September. Now they're saying November."
Bird and other local business owners are concerned that if the construction continues, it means that more customers will continue to stay away.
"We're gonna hold on as long as the customers will let us," Bird said.
She knows that ultimately there is nothing she can do, but wait. The project is now expected to be completed in November. Business Owners hope that it ends before the holiday season arrives.
