Construction on St. Mary’s affecting drivers, businesses

WINNIPEG — Businesses on St. Mary’s Road say their customers aren’t happy.

“They’re still coming into the store, but they’re complaining,” Brian Burke, owner of Olympia Cycle and Ski said.

The bike shop owner says summer time generates 70 per cent of his business and the surrounding construction is affecting that prime time.

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“It’s not as busy as usual and there’s nowhere to park,” Burke said. “Winnipeggers will go where it’s easy.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's not as busy as usual and there's nowhere to park," Burke said. "Winnipeggers will go where it's easy."

The owner at Jardins St. Leon said summer is the only time they are open, and while their customers are loyal, the experience is not the same.

“We don’t have any real walls to protect us from the noise and the dust,” Janelle Remillard said.

The city says the project will take eight weeks to complete and the end result of fresh pavement on the roads will be worth it.

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“I guess the one drawback is that parking isn’t permitted on St. Mary’s while this project’s underway, but it really is short term pain for long term gain,” Ken Allen from Public Works said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I guess the one drawback is that parking isn't permitted on St. Mary's while this project's underway, but it really is short term pain for long term gain," Ken Allen from Public Works said.

The project should be finished by mid September and the city will be rerouting traffic on St. Mary’s Road between Lyndal Drive and St. Anne’s to help traffic move smoother.