Shorewood's Oakland Avenue construction causes concerns for local businesses and residents
SHOREWOOD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Construction along a busy road in Shorewood is causing a headache for some residents and local businesses.
"We don’t know what to expect and how customers are going to be able to make it out here, or go somewhere else," said Mick Park, a manager at the North Shore Boulangerie.
Construction along Oakland Avenue in Shorewood is causing major concerns for businesses lining the busy road.
"A lot of people have been calling us, where to park, and we couldn’t give them a specific area to park and that’s been devastating for us," said Park.
Park says they've been losing customers from the lack of parking and accessibility to their front door.
"In the morning hours, especially, it's been tough, because a lot of people come here, have some coffee and some pastry and then go," said Park. "But now they have to find a parking spot, so I think a lot of them are skipping their morning routine. A lot of them are, so that’s been tough."
The construction isn’t just impacting businesses. Those who live along the road say noise from the roadwork is interrupting their sleep.
"Today, I actually was woken up by like jackhammering sounds, and it's more than just the sound, it like shakes the building," said Sarah Tower, who lives on Oakland Avenue. "You can like, kind of feel it."
With one lane currently open on Oakland Avenue and several side streets blocked off, those who live nearby say it's impacting their commute.
"That’s pretty disruptive to rush hour traffic," said Tower. "Clearly it's going to be here for a while, and yeah, it's just disrupting parking."
The village says crews are replacing existing pavement, water mains, storm sewers, and removing lead pipes. It's something residents in the area say is needed.
"There's been a lot of days where I get lost in these side streets because I'm trying to go around a little bit, but overall, I feel like I see the bigger picture that it's going to be something greater," said Alayna Moscinski, who lives near the construction.
The project isn't expected to be complete until this December.
Park says that's a long time for nearby business owners along the stretch to handle.
"That really worries me a lot, and a lot of these businesses and coffee shops rely on summer customers, and we will see how that’s going to turn out," said Park. "So, that worries me too."
More information and updates on the project can be found here.