Owensboro, Ky. (WFIE) -
Road construction season is a few months away, but not in Owensboro.
Some work is already underway.
As those construction facelifts start on sidewalks and other areas along Second Street, some businesses are worried about how they'll be affected once work really picks up in the summer.
It's something Lavita Watkins has seen before.
She works at C-ing Polkadots and says that anytime there's work on Second Street, somebody usually feels the side effects.
"It has slowed down business, but we do have some very loyal customers who have made their way through the mess to get here," says Watkins.
But it's not always that easy.
"Out-of-towners and new customers complain about the lack of parking and how hard it is to get to downtown businesses with all the chaos and stuff that's going on downtown," says Watkins.
Including work to expand sidewalks, put in new storm sewer lines and improve Second Street itself.
Some of that's already underway or getting ready to begin.
City officials know it won't be an easy summer.
"I guess it's like going to the doctor and having a surgery done, you know? There's a certain period that you're gonna have to do the surgery itself, and then there's a recovery period that it's gonna take to get over that surgery," Watkins tells 14News.
For some, that recovery period brings a fear of the unknown.
Lavita tells us she doesn't know what it will do to the downtown businesses.
One of the things officials say they'd like to do is work with local businesses ahead of time before work starts that could affect them.
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