‘Bridge to bankruptcy,’ Local business owners react to F1 bridge lane reduction

LAS VEGAS — After Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix announced it is reducing this year’s temporary bridge on Flamingo Road over Koval Lane from four lanes to two, local business owners said it won’t change the loss of revenue they experienced last year and will continue to hurt their businesses.

Race organizers shared that the change was made to be less disruptive to neighboring businesses. But Randy Markin, the owner of Stage Door Casino and Battista’s Hole in the Wall, and Wade Bohn, the owner of Jay’s Market, said no matter how many lanes the bridge has it will negatively impact their businesses.

“‘The bridge to bankruptcy’ is a good name for it because it will bankrupt us,” Bohn said. “It’s been bad, it’s coming back and it is not going to be any better.”

Both owners said they lost millions of dollars in revenue and their employees took a huge loss as they depend on customers’ tips.

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“I mean this has hurt a lot of people, all so some mucky muck can watch an hour and a half race, it’s not right, that is not how we treat people here in Las Vegas,” Markin said.

Both said the bridge caused so much traffic it deterred new and even longtime customers from getting to their business.

“Once that bridge went up cars just flew over me, they couldn’t get in, they were stuck on a bridge,” Bohn said.

Both business owners said they do not see the lane reduction as a solution and believe they will take another financial hit when construction restarts and the bridge is re-installed this October.

“I am sure that a lot of people are going to be out of work because there is not going to be any business, I mean if they are saying they are going to be doing all the road work for three months there are times when no one can get into our place,” Markin said. “I mean it’s like putting up a wall around a business.”

The local business owners will meet with representatives from F1 on Tuesday but Markin said it is only an informational meeting.

The two hoped to give race organizers input on what F1 could do to make good on the millions of dollars they lost, and what it can do differently this year.