Two Omaha businesses say they're dreading another wave of construction-related challenges as a major intersection and bridge prepare to close in January.
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While utility work on the streetcar in Blackstone has wrapped up, business owners in Midtown say they fear the worst is still to come. Starting January 5, the Farnam Street Bridge will close, and the intersection at Turner Boulevard and Farnam Street will shut down for approximately four months for plumbing work.
"We've got bridge construction, there's sewer construction, and then alternative routes. So it's not gonna be easier," said Nick Walker, manager of Corky Canvas in Midtown.
The construction will make Farnam eastbound-only, and the four-month closure of the Turner Park intersection will leave the Dodge Street entrance as the primary access point to Corky Canvas.
"I think that it's probably gonna be comparable to the last construction. Our last construction was through November and it was the worst month we've had in probably 10 years. There's only gonna be one access point into the studio to parking, and that's gonna be off of Dodge Street," Walker said.
Downtown, Paul Urban, who owns Block 16, says street closures, detours, and construction equipment are reducing both vehicle and foot traffic to his restaurant.
"We had a customer that called the other day and was like we tried to come in from West Omaha and we got so turned around we drove around for 45 minutes before we gave up," Urban said.
And that large pipes were placed on the street a couple of months ago, blocking parking spaces, with some meters already bagged off. Urban was told the pipes would be installed sometime in February.
The construction has taken a significant financial toll on Urban's business.
"What I wanna know is what the mayor would do if whoever his boss came to him and said, hey, we're gonna make your job really hard for the next 6 months to 3 years and you're gonna take a 60% pay cut, but we still need you to keep doing that same job and I wanna know what his answer to that would be," Urban said.
While the city launched a passport program designed to help businesses during construction, Urban says the initiative hasn't provided meaningful relief.
"It's not helping, nobody's using it and it's almost, it was almost a bit of a slap in the face," Urban said.
Though Urban says the construction has harmed his business, he is thankful loyal customers continue to support his restaurant.
Back in Midtown, Walker is particularly concerned about the timing of the construction. Valentine's Day is typically one of Corky Canvas's busiest days of the year, and Walker hopes the upcoming detours don't deter couples from taking classes.
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