Downtown business owners frustrated over drop in traffic from construction
Water main construction on State Street continues to impact local businesses, as crews work to replace two aging water mains by the end of July.
The construction project, which involves replacing water mains over 100 years old, has led to traffic disruptions and limited parking availability, affecting businesses in the area.
Crews replacing century-old water mains along State Street
Kelli Graham, owner of Ye Ole Sweet Shoppe, expressed frustration over the slowdown in business due to the construction, noting that customers have difficulty finding parking.
John Dinino from Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant mentioned that the construction is deterring customers, as many are unwilling to park far away and walk to the restaurant.
Graham acknowledged the necessity of the construction, stating, 'People are complaining about parking, but we know it needs done, I have seen some of the stuff they have pulled out of the ground and it definitely needs done, so we just have to wait it out unfortunately and hopefully it's quick.'
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She added that parking is challenging downtown, and the construction has exacerbated the issue, with customers parking blocks away.
Dinino echoed similar concerns, explaining that customers find the situation a hassle and are eagerly waiting for the construction to end.
As the construction progresses, businesses on State Street hope for a swift completion to alleviate the parking and accessibility issues currently affecting their operations.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WJET/WFXP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WJET/WFXP staff before being published.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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