The road isn't expected to re-open until next Memorial Day and that means less traffic will be traveling on 131 in areas life Fife Lake in Grand Traverse County.
By Melissa Smith
Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 9:52 a.m.
Read more: Local, State, Business, Economy, Community, US 131, Fife Lake, Road Work
FIFE LAKE --
Bridge work over the Manistee River might be causing closures on US 131 to start in Wexford County...but that means areas north of the closed corridor like Fife Lake in Grand Traverse County could see less traffic.
"It certainly means less traffic for us. We get some transient traffic off the highway and that will no longer be there. We're going to rely on our locals who've always supported us to try and find us, but we're going to miss the people who would pass by when they drive off the highway," says owner of Gordy's Place in Fife Lake, Gordy Smith.
Smith says it's still too early to predict how much the highway closure will affect his business. But since 131 from M42 down to the Wexford County line is closed until next spring, he's already planning for the possibility of less customers.
"Our busiest season is in the winter. We do a lot of business with snowmobilers and hopefully they'll find us, but we're not going to see the people that drive by on the highway," says Smith.
7&4 News also spoke with the manager of the Beacon & Bridge gas station on 131 in Fife Lake. Although he couldn't go on camera he says he's noticed less semi trucks stopping for diesel gas.
If this decrease in business continues he says that could mean laying off employees.
"I think the gas station out on the highway is definitely going to be impacted because that's a very popular stopping point for people coming up down 131," says owner of the Wild Raisin Art Gallery in Fife Lake, Mandy Gibson.
Gibson says the road project has customers asking about detour routes. MDOT says they are in the process of adding more signs.
"I've made a little map and I've tried to tell local people to take a detour without going all the way to 37 or going through Lake City," says Gibson.
According to Gordy Smith, only time will tell the true impact that the highway closure will have on business.
"I guess we'll get through this but it's going to be tough and it's getting to be real difficult to gage its impact until we see our busiest season which is in the winter months," says Smith.
