Construction on Cooper Street in Jackson has caused significant disruptions for local businesses, with one restaurant deciding to move to a new location after experiencing a 50% drop in sales.
• Construction on Cooper Street has been ongoing for most of 2025, causing major disruptions for businesses.
• Doll 'n' Burgers has seen sales drop by more than 50% compared to last year.
• MDOT officials say traffic should return to normal by November, but the restaurant isn't waiting.
WATCH: Jackson restaurant forced to relocate due to prolonged construction impacts
It's a sight many Michiganders would say is normal - road closures, detour signs, and orange barrels as far as the eye can see. In Jackson, that has been the view on Cooper Street for most of 2025.
The extensive roadwork has taken a heavy toll on local businesses, particularly restaurants that depend on customer access.
"For us, our sales have been down over 50% over last year. We've also had many days where construction has caused us to close completely due to water lines being broken, electric issues, and just overall construction," said Mike Jacobson, Culinary Director of Doll 'n' Burgers.
I went to MDOT in Jackson to learn more about the ongoing work.
Jason Fossitt, the Construction Engineer at the Jackson TSC, explained that the project includes water main work and sanitary sewer work. He indicated that relief is coming, but not immediately.
"The bridge will be open, traffic will be through, we'll still be doing some sidewalk work and things off on the side. But, traffic should be passable by the middle of November," Fossitt said.
However, for Doll 'n' Burgers, the November timeline is too late. Jacobson says the construction is the primary reason they've decided to move to a new Jackson location this fall - a decision driven by more than just financial concerns.
"We just want to be able to keep our staff employed, and we can't operate at the level of sales we have right now. So being able to move to a new location with a lot more traffic, and keep our staff happy and keep the community happy," Jacobson said.
Despite the challenges, the restaurant team remains optimistic about their future in Jackson.
"So, we're all super excited to go over there and make great food on that side of town," Jacobson said.
MDOT officials acknowledge the difficulties businesses face during construction projects and ask for continued patience.
"We ask them to be patient. You know, we're in there. We have to cause impacts to improve infrastructure and things like that. We try to work with them and communicate proactively as much as we can to alleviate problems with traffic or things like that," Fossitt said.
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