Spare a thought for the business owners in Telarah who face seven months of significant disruptions because of a major bridge closure.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Mercury reported that $5.7 million is being spent to install a new railway bridge near a cluster of small businesses.
Work began earlier this month, but was expected to take until May next year to complete.
While the bridge closure will no doubt be a nuisance to motorists who frequent the route, the people who are likely to take the biggest hit are the small business owners in the area around the bridge.
It’s fantastic news that a significant amount of money is being spent on local infrastructure, but the bridge closure represents a potential obstacle for those businesses.
We are not saying that the job could or should be done quicker. One can only assume that the seven-month closure is the shortest length of time that it will take to do the necessary engineering and construction work on the vital overpass. But customers of those small businesses in the bridge area should do their best to remain loyal, even if the ongoing road work is making access more difficult.
Business owners told the Mercury that the next few months would be tough, but refused to complain and said the work was short-term pain for long-term gain.
At a time of high unemployment and economic conditions that present challenges for small businesses, it is an admirable attitude that these business owners have taken, given their livelihoods are at stake due to circumstances beyond their control.
Small business owners like this deserve the ongoing support of the customers whose loyalty they have earned.
