Businesses count cost as roadworks near end

As the Williams bridge works near the end, small businesses are counting the costs of the construction disruption. Dave Phelps made the difficult decision to close The Bridge Roadhouse in September last year, almost a year after the roadworks started in November 2018. Mr Phelps claims the work has cost him about $1 million. Attempts to gain compensation have got him nowhere. “Up until I closed the doors, I lost about $500,000 worth of income,” Mr Phelps said. “It would be double that by now. It just got to a point where I couldn’t afford to employ the people working here. Four people lost their jobs. “I’m now spending money on renovations to have an impact when I reopen and get back into business straight away but this bridge project has just been a huge debacle.” Mr Phelps claimed Main Roads and their contractors had terrible planning and organisational skills when it came to managing the project. “The bridge was shut for the whole of winter and now they’ve been having to use traffic control, works should have been done in the off-season when they wouldn’t need traffic management,” he said. “I understand they expected to have a wet winter and not continue work, but there were lots of things they could have done on the site to lessen the impact over this period of time that they didn’t do.” However, Main Roads spokesman Dean Roberts said the works were postponed during winter to allow for a better quality seal on the road and in doing so, did not delay the project timeline. Mr Phelps, who also owns the the BP Roadhouse 450m away, said his customer numbers severely decreased due to the havoc the road works caused. “Numbers dropped by at least half,” he said. “There was only one driveway open for access and fuel stations just don’t work like that, especially if there’s a caravan and trailer, there’s just no room to turn around.” Mr Phelps has owned the roadhouse for at least five years and said if he didn’t have the BP outlet, he would be bankrupt. “I’ve submitted two claims for compensation through my lawyer; one got rejected and the second one I haven’t heard anything about it,” he said. “My business has been affected (from) day one, I’m not over it but I stopped being annoyed about it quite a while ago.” But Mr Roberts said there would be no compensation for local business owners. “Main Roads has provided signage and ensured vehicle access has been maintained for all businesses during their opening hours throughout the project,” he said. Despite his frustrations, Mr Phelps said he did not deny the benefits of the project. “It will benefit the whole WA community, both bridges were severely structurally compromised so it had to be done. What annoys me is the lack of planning and management,” he said. Once the business renovations are complete, Mr Phelps hopes to reopen the Bridge Roadhouse with a fresh look and menu. Also feeling the impacts of the roadworks are neighbouring businesses north of Mr Phelps. Eighty metres down the road, Rustik Rainbow Cafe owner Poppy Wright said she understood there would be inconveniences, but was still disappointed by how it has been managed. “I had closed entry from the front of my business; the only way was for customers to park around the back but luckily many locals were aware so we still had great community support,” she said. Mrs Wright said the financial impact of the roadworks was at its worst in November last year. She would also like to be compensated for her loss of income. “I lost more than 60 per cent in regular business. I saw a decrease in tourists coming into the cafe. The locals have been providing my main source of cash flow,” she said. “I also had to cut prices down to try and get people in. It didn’t matter about making a profit; I just had to ensure a cash flow to pay tax.” The cafe owner of four years said she was disappointed at times with the communication from Main Roads and lack of planning for business access points. “I had to keep updating the cafe Facebook page about entry and exit access and informing my customers we were still open,” she said. Next door, Williams Hotel owner Ben Strickland said he thought the project had taken longer than it needed to. “Business has been a bit of a rollercoaster but it has been manageable,” he said. “Looking at the bigger picture, it has been troubling but it will be good once it is complete.” Williams Shire chief executive Geoff McKeown said the biggest impact on businesses has been customer access. “It was always going to be that way when you have major construction happening on your doorstep but I think Main Roads has done its best to alleviate issues,” he said. “A lot of time has gone into traffic management and controllers to make it as easy as it can be for customers to get in and out.” Mr Roberts said March 9 is the contractual date for practical completion. “The works are running on schedule,” he said. “Main Roads has maintained close liaison with the local community and businesses throughout the works. “This has included the formation of a Community Reference Group involving business owners, the Shire and interested locals, which has been in operation since April 2017 with good relations.” Mr McKeown said the extent of the traffic control measures was “an eye opener” and might have deterred some visitors, but the bridges needed to be replaced. “We will have better infrastructure that’s safer in terms of pedestrian access, widened footpaths over bridges and the installation of safe points to enter businesses,” he said.