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Columbia Pike construction project continues to impact local business
Columbia Pike has been under construction for more than 15 years — part of a massive overhaul meant to modernize the roadway but while county officials say the end is finally in sight, for some business owners, it may already be too late.
ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. - Columbia Pike has been under construction for more than 15 years. It's part of a massive overhaul meant to modernize the roadway, but while county officials say the end is finally in sight, for some business owners, they feel may already be too late.
It’s now expected to wrap up by the end of the year, but many residents and business owners tell us they’re not so sure. After years of disruption, they’re exhausted.
The details:
This project — a $161 million, 3.5-mile transformation — began back in 2010. It's designed to make the corridor safer, more modern and more walkable.
This is no small project: crews are moving power lines underground, upgrading storm drains, widening sidewalks, adding new bus stops, and improving traffic signals.
It’s been broken into nine stages, stretched over the past 15 years. While businesses understand the long-term goal, they say communication has been poor and requests for financial help have been denied.
Businesses struggling:
Some say they’re just hoping they can hang on long enough to still be here when it’s finally finished.
"Yeah, the construction hit very strong for the business. We can say we lost about 50% to 60%," said Puteary Thom, Manager, Ly’s Cutting Edge Hair Salon.
That decline has put the salon at risk of having to move, as what should be a five-minute drive now takes 20 minutes, followed by a fight for parking.
On Monday, Celtic House will lose its patio space, cutting deeper into what the owners say is already a 30% drop in revenue.
"I met with the county manager around six months ago, asked him for a break on our meals tax which is paid to the county but I was told no. Then the county actually raised that tax by one percent," said the restaurant’s General Manager, Chris Devenney.
"At the end of the day, I hope it will be worth it but when is it going to be finished? I try to get answers from people and it’s been very, very frustrating," said Michael Mcmahon, co-owner of Celtic House Whiskey Bar.
Dig deeper:
A spokesperson for the project told FOX 5 they understand the construction has been disruptive and say they remain in regular communication with businesses to provide updates and address concerns.
But as frustrated owners will tell you, that’s not the experience they’ve had.
The construction here was supposed to start on Monday but—with no communication —that date was changed.