'It's terrible': Some Montague business owners feeling the pain from 2nd summer of roadwork

1 month_ago 11

PEI

Some businesses successful Montague person been seeing less customers recently, blaming a 2nd consecutive summertime of roadwork for the nonaccomplishment of shoppers successful the eastbound P.E.I. community.

'It was benignant of a punch to the gut,' proprietor says of learning roadworthy enactment would continue

Ryan McKellop · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 14, 2025 5:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

A ample orangish postulation motion is successful the frame, a operation idiosyncratic tin beryllium seen signaling postulation with a SLOW/STOP sign.

The P.E.I. authorities began enactment connected June 20 connected a agelong of road just northbound of the Down East Mall. The pavement is being milled and only a azygous lane of alternating postulation tin get by astatine a time, with the task scheduled to extremity by July 31.

"The enactment includes constructing left-turn lanes connected Route 4 and Robertson Rd, repaving, stormwater strategy replacement, constructing an progressive proscription way and signalizing the intersection," the state said successful a announcement connected its website.

It feels similar déjà vu to Darren Dingwell, proprietor of the restaurant Dinger's Dive. He said income this past wintertime outpaced gross from past summertime due to the fact that the usually engaged play was truthful atrocious owed to roadworthy construction. Now he's dreading different dip.

Roadwork is costing Montague businesses immoderate customers, store owners accidental

Provincial roadworthy operation connected the main resistance successful the eastbound P.E.I. assemblage of Montague began successful aboriginal June and is acceptable to proceed until the extremity of July. Local businesses accidental some postulation and purchases person slowed. CBC's Gwyneth Egan reports.

"Last twelvemonth was tough, with the roadwork operation that was taking place. [It] was truly hard connected us, and it wasn't looking that great, wintertime was coming, adjacent to Christmas, and past thing changed — and it wasn't the GST… break," helium said.

"People conscionable started coming, and [the] income went up, truthful our income successful January were amended than the income successful July the erstwhile year. That's conscionable unheard of successful this industry."

Appreciating the enactment from section diners, Dingwell was looking guardant to the upwind warming up, until helium heard astir the caller circular of roadworthy construction.

"It was benignant of a punch successful the gut, if I'm honest, due to the fact that I thought, 'Here we spell again,'" helium said.

A antheral successful a pinkish garment and patterned chapeau talks to a reporter, down him is simply a fridge.

Now that the enactment is underway, helium said the disruption seems adjacent worse than past year's.

Dingwell said the ongoing enactment is making radical debar Montague, which is the largest assemblage successful the amalgamated municipality of Three Rivers.

"It's terrible. People are bypassing Montague. They're not coming into Montague during the time astatine each due to the fact that of the roadwork that is taking place," helium said.

Dingwell said helium is not the lone 1 successful the country dealing with this problem, saying others have adjacent considered relocating.

"I've heard businesses talking astir moving to Stratford due to the fact that of this, due to the fact that of the mismanagement that happens successful the town, which is sad," helium said.

A antheral successful a bluish collared garment with a acheronian overgarment stands successful a store helium is the manager of.

Frank Dourte, the manager of The Turning Point Health Food Store, said helium is capable to spot the toll of lost customers with a glimpse astatine his inventory system.

"The main nonaccomplishment of our concern is during the luncheon hour," helium told CBC News.

Dourte said helium usually gets a batch of concern professionals buying successful his store during their luncheon break. Now that commercialized has shrunk, fixed the other clip it takes to get successful and retired of the Down East Mall.

"We're not getting that postulation immoderate much due to the fact that they lone person fractional an hr to an hr for luncheon and they conscionable don't person capable clip to travel present and bash what they request to do," helium said.

"Three weeks ago, it took maine 20 minutes conscionable to get retired of the promenade parking lot, truthful it is affecting [us]."

Town's response

Three Rivers Mayor Debbie Johnston said past year's roadwork was a municipality project, but this year's operation is successful the hands of the province.

She said the town's main administrative officer is successful talks with the provincial section liable successful an effort to springiness businesses immoderate relief.

A pistillate successful a acheronian garment sits astatine her table portion she reads a paper.

"Our CAO has been successful interaction with Transportation [and] Infrastructure... astir connected a regular basis, trying to, you know, spot if determination is immoderate mode to debar arsenic agelong a hold arsenic determination has been."

Johnston said she is urging locals and tourists alike to sojourn and store astatine the businesses affected by the ongoing operation contempt perchance longer hold times.

"Every concern successful Three Rivers is important," she said. "I really bash consciousness for the businesses. I privation determination was much that I could do, but arsenic I said, it's a provincial project...

"They are the backbones of our community, tiny business, and I'm going to ask, adjacent if it takes 10 minutes longer, to delight effort and bash the champion you tin to enactment these businesses."