Ongoing MacCorkle Ave. construction affecting small business

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – For two years, MacCorkle Avenue has been under construction and the lane closures have caused major traffic slowdowns.

Construction in Kanawha City is hurting growth at Pepperoni Grill where sales, customers and deliveries have been affected, according to owner James Wells.

“It’s going to be another 6-7 months and and it’s already put out numerous businesses on Kanawha City, numerous businesses, and they are not working today. And that’s sad, why would they not be working on a beautiful day to finish the paving,” Wells said. “They do not work steady they will make one big mess then come back a month later and start another big mess.”

He said a turn lane needs to be opened up coming off of Interstate 64, because half of the road is shut down and it created gridlock.

“A lot of this should have been done at night time instead of during the day and hurting small business,” Well said.

Between a major hospital, CAMC, the CAMC Cancer Center, an elementary and middle school, and many businesses and government agencies that line the road, during the day the I-64 exit and entry points become gridlocked.

At the Donut Connection right across the street from the intersection, Theresa Ortiz is frustrated with how long construction is taking.

She said she bought the business in 2022 and a couple months later construction on MacCorkle began.

“They blocked off half of our highway exit ramp, which is just beautiful,” Ortiz said. “I’ll be on my way to work and I will have to wait an extra 15 minutes, and then we are stuck or they will be late just because we did not have to expect to sit at a light for 15 minutes, even though it was green.”

The WVDOH said crews are installing storm water drains and sidewalks, reviewing traffic signal timing while utility crews have side streets blocked off with other projects at the same time.

“Our business is still really good, but people are not going to come up here. They only have an hour for lunch, and it would take you an hour to get up here and back because of the way they have decided to operate on this road,” Wells said.

The WVDOH said construction is expected to be completed by fall 2024.

“I am very grateful that we are going to have a good road. I am getting more and more disappointed in how long it is taking,” Ortiz said. “I came from Akron, Ohio, and I was just talking to one of my family members, and they fixed an entire bridge in six months.”

The WVDOH released this statement about the construction.

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