WESTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ) — Westland residents and businesses are frustrated with the county over bridge construction being done on N. Wayne Road, just south of Joy Road.
The bridge has been closed since the beginning of this month for pavement resurfacing and reconstruction. Since then, business owners like Samar Kassab, owner of Marco's Fine Wine and Deli, told me they have already seen their bottom lines start to suffer due to the lack of traffic passing through.
“We want people to know that we’re still open and that the roads are not completely closed off,” said Samar.
Business owners are also blaming sign placement by the county for part of the reason business has been stark.
Catrina Staats, owner and cake artist at Homestead Kitchen and Bakery, told me that in her opinion, the signage posted almost a mile ahead of the construction is causing confusion among customers.
“It is a little frustrating that the sign is out so far away from the bridge because few people are going to actually come down into this area,” said Catrina.
Business owners like Ahmed Ahmed, a barber at Maya Hair Salon, and residents like Clarence Wardell told me that a large portion of the frustration can be attributed to the added drive time.
“They used to take like 2-3 minutes from down the street. They live there. But now, 12-15 minutes to get here,” said Ahmed.
While Clarence agrees his drive time has increased, he said his miles are about the same.
“In order to fix the bridge, we have to put up with the road closure," he says. "Now that I kinda measure out the different mileage, it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference.”
I reached out to the county to find out when the construction will be done, when the road will be reopened, and if there is anything the county could do to help these business owners who have been impacted.
A representative with Wayne County sent me back a statement saying:
We understand residents' concerns about the bridge closure and appreciate their patience. The Wayne Road bridge is expected to reopen to traffic by the end of this year.
