Telarah business operators are reporting a massive slump in trade as the local railway bridge closure and year-long roadworks take their toll on the struggling suburb.
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Traders the Mercury spoke to yesterday said they were feeling the pinch and losing valuable morning and afternoon passing trade as their once-regular customers took their dollars elsewhere.
The local newsagency said sales had plummeted so drastically that this week was the worst in the two years they had been there.
The Mercury reported last month how council roadworks had impeded traffic flow through the business hub and how work had started to replace the old railway bridge, which meant access from the hospital roundabout into Telarah would be closed until May.
A total of $5.7 million is being spent on a new railway bridge at Telarah Street to replace the existing 100-year-old structure.
Millions of dollars have also been spent on road upgrades, which have been ongoing for the past 12 months, to cope with the volume of traffic expected to increase through the area when 1500 home lots in nearby Farley are released.
Those roadworks are all but complete with the last top layer to be carried out next week.
Sharon Toghill of Telarah Newsagency said it had been the worst week’s trade since she and husband Bruce took over the newsagency almost two years ago.
“There’s no passing traffic, nothing going past our front door,” she said.
“Residents on the Heritage Motor Group side of Telarah are frustrated not being able to get to their local shopping centre.
“In saying that we know both projects had to be done and I must say that both the road works and bridge contractors have been absolutely brilliant keeping us in the loop,” Mrs Toghill said.
What is concerning traders is that many of their regular customer probably do not realise the roadworks are all but complete.
“I think they have taken their trade elsewhere and I can understand their frustrations but we want them to know it’s good to come back now,” she said.
“This is so upsetting and I really hope we can all hold out,” she said.
Telarah IGA manager Manny Tserepas agreed with Mrs Toghill and said his business was hurting.
“Trade is probably down about 10 per cent,” he said.
“I’ve been in the store over 18 months and from the moment I first started the roadworks began and now with the bridge closure it’s really inconvenient.”
