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Small business forced to close due to Hwy 74 superstreet construction

By Mark Barber
By Mark Barber

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. — A coffee shop has become the first casualty of a superstreet construction project on Highway 74 in Indian Trail that is meant to make traffic flow more smoothly.

[RELATED: Indian Trail business owners worry about losing customers due to road project]

Co-owners Linda House and Nick Ostergaard said they were forced to close their coffee shop because they said their customers weren’t able to navigate through all of the construction.

"This was a dream for me," House said while talking about opening up the coffee shop.

House told Channel 9 she had to cut four employees and estimates she will lose $10,000.

House and Ostergaard also own another business, Juke Box Pub and Grill, just a few shops down from their coffee shop. She said it’s been a local favorite for 10 years, and even it is taking a hit from the superstreet construction.

The new superstreet will span four major intersections. It will begin at the intersection of Indian Trail Road in the west, and will run all the way to the Wesley Chapel Road and Sardis Church Road intersection in the east.

Drivers between the four major intersections will no longer be able to turn left onto Highway 74 from side streets. At medians, left turns still won’t be allowed, but instead, every 1,000 feet, there will be new turn lanes where drivers can make U-turns.

Business owners said their customers started leaving when road crews closed one entrance to the shopping center and started putting traffic cones at the other entrances.

House said the construction crews have also staged their trucks and lights in lots where customers needed parking.

House said she went out to construction crews to plead with them to move their trucks and lights, but felt forgotten so Eyewitness News reporter Mark Barber called the North Carolina Department of Transportation engineer who could help.

"You're the first person I've heard this from," engineer Brady McKenzie said.

"So are you going to investigate this now or follow up with business owners? What's the next step?" Barber asked.

"I don't know who the business owner is," McKenzie answered.

Barber kept pushing for answers for 15 minutes and finally McKenzie admitted that he started investigating the case Wednesday.

"I called the contractor yesterday. I talked to him," McKenzie said.

"And what did the contractor say?" Barber asked.

"He would check into it," McKenzie said.

"I don't think it's fair they're not helping us survive," House said.

House and Ostergaard hope more customers will start braving the construction to help their other business hold on another year.

Construction on the two-mile stretch is expected to wrap up by November 2017.

Residents with concerns should contact the NCDOT's resident engineers office at 704-218-5125.

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