It’s business as usual on Lane Avenue – just a little slower.

Although there has been limited access for some time now to the stores and restaurants on the street, businesses are anxiously awaiting the next phase of construction to begin.

The street will be widened to five lanes during phase two of the Lane Avenue Improvement project.

“We will probably see more of a decline, especially once the street gets torn up and it gets more difficult to get around. People don’t necessarily know how to get to us, but my biggest concern is that I don’t really know the dates when the construction is supposed to begin,” said Lyle Garraux, general manager of Cooker on Lane Avenue.

“It’s just one of those things out there on the horizon. Everyone in the company is aware that it is coming. We’re just waiting to get some information,” he said.

Cooker is not the only business anxious to know an exact date. Although the stores received a letter from the city before the bridge was closed in November, that was the last they have heard.

Mark Richards, the project manager for Columbus, said the bids for the contractor are scheduled to begin May 15 and the construction should follow shortly after that.

Once a contractor is chosen, the city will set a meeting with the businesses and the contractor.

For the most part the stores continue to wait and wonder exactly what to expect.

“We won’t know until we get people in, but I would suppose it will be harder for them to get in. At this time we are just waiting to see when it’s done,” said David Fergus, manager of Conrad’s College Gifts.

Richards said there is no way to avoid the traffic disruptions; however, the road will never be completely closed. At least one lane will be maintained, going east and west, at all times.

“It will have an effect. The people will be able to get where they are going, but it will be slower than under normal conditions – that can’t be helped,” Richards said. “There is no question that for the next year and a half construction will be out in the street and traffic will be disrupted.”

Accessibility is not the only limitation resulting from the construction. The Exxon gas station located on Lane Avenue might lose some gas pumps due to the widening of the street because the pumps would be too close to the lanes of traffic.

Nicholas Glaze, the store’s manager, said sales have dropped since the construction has began.

“It’s really hurt us a lot. Our gas sales are way down because we were one of the first gas stations people would see. It has hurt our gas sales, which in turn has hurt our impulse sales because no one is coming in and doing any impulse buying,” Glaze said.

The store’s future remains uncertain.

“I don’t know if we are going to have to shut down all of our pumps during the construction, or if we will have to shut the store completely down. We don’t really know what we are going to do,” Glaze said.

He also said if the store shuts down temporarily the employees will most likely be transferred to another store.

Despite the drop in sales and the possibility of losing pumps, Glaze is optimistic about the final results.

“I don’t really think it’s going to hurt us too bad once it’s all said and done. Once they actually have five lanes, I’m sure our business will definitely pick up,” he said.

The project is expected to take a year and a half, with an estimated completion date for the end of 2004.