Meridian project pinches off customer traffic flow

To say business is slow at Gina's Cafe is an understatement.

Since construction on North Meridian Road resumed two weeks ago, Gina MacNeil's business has been cut in half. The restaurant faces Meridian, and even though patrons can still reach the cafe via Glenwood Drive to the west, MacNeil fears the loss of drive-by customers could spell the end of Gina's.

MacNeil has been in business just seven weeks. Ironically, she chose the location for her restaurant specifically because of the volume of traffic on Meridian.

At first, she didn't think road construction would have much impact on her business.

"I thought, well, that's OK," she said. "Every place has construction. I had no idea it was going to be completely cut off."

As a new business that many people are unaware of, the cafe depends on people who drive by. MacNeil is doing her best to get the word out, though.

She finished a new catering/to-go menu last week. Each employee will take these to businesses around Kalispell so workers craving Mexican food at lunchtime can call Gina's.

On the weekends, MacNeil and her three children distribute menus door to door.

"That's our plan of attack," she said. "hitting the catering and to-go orders and deliveries."

Gina's Cafe isn't the only business affected by the Meridian shutdown. Janelli's Deli, north of Gina's, also has lost customers.

"It's awful," owner Janelle Gentry said. "I'm down probably 70 percent or more."

The end result - a nice street - will be fantastic, she said. It's just the waiting that's hard.

"I'm trying to keep as positive about it as I can," she said. "In the meantime, it's a pretty tough situation for a business to stay afloat."

Not everyone is concerned, though. Many businesspeople along Meridian can't wait for their new, improved street and are grateful to the road workers.

A.J. King, senior vice president at Three Rivers Bank, says the road crew is putting in long days to expedite the construction process. When he opened the bank's doors at 7 a.m. last Monday, they were already at work. When he left the office that same day at 7 p.m., they were still at work.

"They're trying to get it done, and I appreciate that," he said.

Even those whose businesses have been seriously hurt by the construction are thankful the work is getting done.

"I honestly think they're doing a good job," Gentry said. "It's an inevitable evil to get a good project. The end of the project will be good news for everybody."

Not all businesses along Meridian are suffering because of the roadwork. Dean Buckallew, co-owner of H & A Automotive, hasn't seen much change.

"I think it's hurt maybe the walk-in oil change a bit, but so far the drop-off hasn't really hurt us," he said. "Our established clientele are going to get here one way or another."

Buckallew added that Nelcon Inc., the company working on the road, has tried not to interfere with businesses on Meridian. Nelcon built a temporary road to allow access to some businesses.

"For us, they've been really good to work with," he said.

Cal Westphal, owner of Cal's Boot and Shoe Repair, also on Meridian, agreed.

"From my end of it, they've been real good," he said. "There are people more affected than I am."

This may be because Westphal and Buckallew don't depend on drive-by customers. People tend to call in advance, like they would to a doctor, to make appointments for their cars and shoes.

That's why Kendall Carpenter at Glacier Prosthetic Care Inc. hasn't seen much change in business.

"It's obvious to us that we have nobody driving by our office," he said. "But most of our customers seem to be willing to dedicate just a little more time in order to get here."

Many of Jeff Sprole's customers at Dog Gone Clean are still coming as well. When the roadwork began, he sent a letter to everyone on his mailing list, alerting them to the back access to his store via Glenwood Drive.

Still, Sprole has lost almost half of his normal business.

"It's kind of unfortunate," he said, "but we're open."

The most challenging thing has been the fact that both lanes of traffic are closed, he said.

"It was quite a surprise to see them close it altogether," Sprole said.

MacNeil was just as shocked. She said she received no notice that traffic would be cut off completely.

Sam Weyers, Nelcon's office manager, said the firm did let the public know both lanes would be closed between Three Mile Drive and Husky Street.

"They were notified via public service announcements on radio stations and via information on the Internet," he said.

A weekly road construction report from the Montana Department of Transportation also noted that a detour would be in place between Three Mile and Husky Street.

At www.meridianroadinfo.com, viewers can download a map that shows "road closed" signs where Three Mile Drive, Two Mile Drive and Husky, Liberty and West Wyoming streets intersect Meridian.

For the next two or three months, until workers have finished the crushed aggregate base, those few blocks will remain off limits.

Some business owners, like Buckallew, don't mind the temporary loss of traffic.

"I'd much rather see them do it this way," he said, "close it entirely and do it all at once."

Westphal agreed. Every day he sees drivers ignore signs warning them to stay off the road, and he worries that one of these days, someone will get hurt.

This is precisely why Nelcon closed part of the road entirely, Weyers said.

It was "to better facilitate the safety of the traveling public," he said.

Even though the loss of the public traveling in front of her store is painful, Gentry realizes all she can do is wait it out.

"In the meantime, we suck it up," she said. "What else are you going to do?"

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.