Main Street Stores Suffer Financially Due to Road Construction

By Mandy Claggett

Road construction on East Main Street is not only affecting motorists, local business owners are noticing a shortage in the cash register. The construction that was due to be finished by mid-August is behind due to inclement weather.

Since motorists are unable to pass through Route 11, shop owners say they are no longer coming to their stores. Cindy Miller, owner of The Coffee Mill says, “several regulars said that with the road work on Prices Fork and the road work here, it was difficult to stop by because they couldn’t get through the university and they would just go through Christiansburg.

The businesses on Main Street rely on Radford University students to keep them open. These students used to walk down the sidewalks bordering Main Street to get downtown, however they now have to walk around the campus, which many are not willing to do. “Students could easily walk down here but with the sidewalks not being finished it’s kind of a hassle to get here,” says Miller.

Dave Abraham, owner of New Wheel says, “I think things have been probably as much as twenty to twenty-five percent off over these few months.” Frustrated with the fact the project is taking so long, but still understanding that the weather is the cause; Abraham just wants his customers back.
“We have not seen the return of the students with school starting and we’re hoping that that will change as the road gets finished,” adds Miller. So as the bulldozers continue working, local merchants continue to wait for their clientele to pick back up.