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Airport Highway shutdown hurting businesses

First it was the neighbors, now a city construction project that has Airport Highway in south Toledo shut-down is causing problems for businesses.
Fifi Berry at Fifi's Reprise, a local favorite for nearly three decades that's just reopened, is also hoping work crews move as quickly as possible.
Reported by Shelley Brown - bio | email

Posted by Nick Dutton - email

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTOL) - A city construction project that has Airport Highway in south Toledo shut-down is causing problems. All four lanes of Airport, from Holland-Sylvania to Bernath.

The shutdown is creating some challenges for businesses.

Businesses that on a normal day see high volumes on Airport are seeing a deep decline in sales.

The city says it had no choice though, they're having to repair a 30-foot section of a ditch culvert that was collapsing.

"It's going to be difficult until they get done.. Obviously this is a main thoroughfare for the city of Toledo," says Taylor Photo's Randy Taylor.

Businesses like Taylor Photo are feeling the effects of the shutdown.

"This is the slowest we've been. Well as long as I can remember in the last year," says Taylor.

And they're not alone, management at the TGI Friday's says business is way down. Across the street at the Village Carryout they're open, but an employee says their business has been cut in half.

Fifi Berry at Fifi's Reprise, a local favorite for nearly three decades that's just reopened, is also hoping work crews move as quickly as possible.

"It did affect me, and it will until it's finished, but what am I going to do," says Berry.

A letter from the city to area businesses says during the construction investigation, additional culvert failure was exposed after draining the culvert. That's why the road is shutdown.

"As I understand it, this is an emergency procedure when they found out they needed to replace the culvert before somebody fell into it, as far as cars go," says Randy Taylor of Taylor Photo.

City officials say the project should wrap up by Saturday. Until then, business owners are asking that the city modify traffic lights. Right now, it appears as if they're still set for through traffic on Airport.

"You find everybody coming off of Bernath here, waiting in long lines to get through a light where nobody is moving," says Taylor.

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