Article content“It’s definitely not your typical November for us,” McPhee added. “There are days that are blowout days, like busy, but then, like today, there are people around, but it’s not your usual foot traffic. Without a doubt, it definitely has to do with the construction out front.”Article content Chris McPhee, assistant manager at Keltic Furniture: “Customers are coming to us, but they’re definitely planning ahead.” Photo by ContributedArticle contentHe said the work has also been a hassle for their drivers and those delivering to the store.Article content“There was a guy here, he’s never been to Cape Breton and he was here today, and he’s like, ‘oh my God, what’s going on here?’” said McPhee. “He was like ‘where do I go? How do I get to your location?’ We basically talked him through it as he was driving.Article content“But it definitely takes more planning, and we’re definitely investing more money in the advertising end of things.”Article content Traffic was reduced to one lane during construction along Kings Road on Nov. 14. Motorists have experienced delays during the work, while local businesses along the route say they’ve seen a drop in customer traffic. Photo by T.J. Colello /Cape Breton PostArticle content‘IT DEFINITELY NEEDED TO BE DONE’Article contentA couple of doors down from Keltic Furniture, Ziggy’s Pub and Grill co-owner and operator David Huntington said the summer months weren’t bad, but October and November have seen a drop in business.Article contentArticle contentHe said the work is something that had to be done, including the added median down the centre of Kings Road.Article content“(The median) is going to prevent people from crossing over to the other side and crossing four lanes, which is dangerous. We’ve seen a lot of accidents, so we see the benefit of that,” said Huntington. “The other thing is it’s going to be very well lit with poles down the centre, but in the end, it definitely needed to be done.Article content“A shorter time frame would have been nice, and possibly working at night would have helped. But on a day-to-day basis, you didn’t know if your entrances were going to be open, and they’d be closed during the day and all of a sudden, they’d open them at five o’clock because they didn’t complete the project they were planning on.”Article content David Huntington, Ziggy’s Pub and Grill co-owner and operator: “It’s going to prevent people from crossing over to the other side and crossing four lanes, which is dangerous. We’ve seen a lot of accidents, so we see the benefit of that.” FILEArticle contentHuntington said they’ve been grateful for their customers that have kept coming back despite the traffic congestion.Article contentArticle content“The reservations from previous years for the holiday season have all been confirmed for this year, which is positive. But a lot of the lunchtime crowd and the afternoon has been a lot slower. That’s where we’ve hurt the most, because people don’t have enough time to go through the traffic.Article content“And with the other stores in the area, your anchor stores like Walmart, Sobeys, Superstore, there’s other alternatives in the SPAR Road area or Sobeys downtown. So you’re seeing people avoid the area for that reason. They could still get to the anchor stores in other locations.”Article content‘OUR SALES HAVE DROPPED CONSIDERABLY’Article contentNext to the first roundabout that was constructed near Highway 125, Kreative Design and KDesign Jewelry owner Kim Boudreau in the Value Check Plaza has felt a serious pinch due to the construction.Article content“Our sales have dropped considerably,” said Boudreau. “We’re down about 75 per cent of where we should be for the same period last year. It’s been very difficult.
Sydney River businesses feeling the effect of Kings Road construction
