A Dundee trader fears for the impact on his business as a main street in Stobswell gets set to close for three weeks of roadworks.
Albert Street will shut in two separate phases from the end of October, in the latest round of roadworks to affect the area.
The first phase will see a fortnight’s closure on the northbound side before the road is closed southbound for the final week.
The work – which gets under way on October 25 – is to allow for pavement resurfacing work.
A number of major roadworks have taken place in the area in the last few years, most recently in July 2020 – just as the country was coming out of its first Covid-19 lockdown.
Some shops also shut during work in 2019.
Nairn Barclay, owner of Rif-Raf Models on Albert Street, fears the roadworks will reduce the number of customers going to his shop.
He said: “I get an awful lot of passing trade, they see the shop on the bus routes and travelling through to work.
Last roadworks ‘affected business’
“They had a lane open during the last roadworks here but again it affected business.
“I’ve got all my accounts and everything else and it shows that business was down. Why they’re doing it again I’ve got no idea.
“They keep on telling us that it’s ‘people orientated’ [and] ‘business orientated’; how are we suppose to survive with Covid, Brexit and half access to our businesses?”
Liz McGee, owner of Pam’s Flowers, says traders in Stobswell are accustomed to roadworks in the area.
She said: “I think you just get used to it, it’s just another set of roadworks.
“They’re normally quite quick in getting them done so hopefully it’ll just be the same again this time.
“As long as we’ve got access to Balmore Street, that means people can get in and deliveries can get in.
“And then obviously there’s a car park and people can just walk along.”
Liz says many of her customers tend to come the store for collections, so access to the shop is vital.
She added: “We get a lot of people coming in the collect and people just passing through.
“With the restrictions and the roadworks before, people weren’t allowed to come into the shop, then there was a wee bit of difficulty
“But at the moment people are allowed, obviously restrictions are lifted, it’s just getting parked for people, especially elderly people.”
Kedar Khadka, owner of Booze 4 U, says he doesn’t think his business will be as badly impacted as others on Albert Street.
He told The Courier: “I don’t have a lot of people travelling to shop, just local customers that live around here, but other businesses on this street, they get customers off the street – not just locals.
“Two years ago there were roadworks that did affect us because we couldn’t get our deliveries in and we couldn’t get access to the shop.
“But this time I should be able to get access for our delivery vans.
“I’m a local corner shop and it’s mostly the local people – so it won’t be too bad like last time.”
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “The contract is valued at £35,528.42 and the works are being carried out by Tayside Contracts.”