EAST LANSING, Mich — A stretch of Grand River Avenue is now entirely closed while crews work on a sewer project for the city. The closure is causing problems for more than just drivers.
WATCH: East Lansing businesses say they're feeling the impacts of Grand River Avenue construction
For several weeks, Bell's Pizza owner Habib Jarwan and other businesses along Grand River Avenue have had new neighbors: traffic cones and excavators.
"When they did the partial closure, people started avoiding coming to this area," Jarwan said.
This week, that partial closure became a full closure. Jarwan said it had an immediate impact.
"The first two days when they closed it, Monday and Tuesday, it was terrible," he said.
Jarwan said the closure cut his usual traffic down by about 80% those first two days. But after changes to the construction zone allowed drivers to reach the parking lot again, and with the help of word of mouth, he has noticed more people trickling in.
"Habib, he found me in Home Depot, and we've come in here before. He saw us in there, and he said, 'Hey, this construction's really hitting us,' and he'd really appreciate it if we came in. So we made sure to take time out of our day to come back here and see him," Michael Everard said.
Jarwan said he hopes that support will continue as the weeks go on.
"Just to keep us flowing, to keep our door open," he said.
All of the businesses along Grand River are still open while the closure is in effect. The city said the project is expected to be completed by the time Michigan State University students return to campus in August.
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