Road Block Diverts Business
Related Story
SAN BENITO – A construction detour is steering potential customers away from one Cameron County business.
US 281 Military Highway near San Benito between FM 1577 and FM 732 is closed.
TxDOT closed it in order to improve drainage.
Businesses nearby told Channel 5 News it's having an unexpected impact on sales.
"I wasn't informed. No one came to tell me that the road would be closed or gave me a time frame. I wasn't informed, I don’t know if they told other people, but when I got here on Monday, it was already closed," said Francisco De Leon, the owner of a restaurant next to the closure.
He said usually Sundays are his busiest days. Today is a different story.
“Well, our sales have gone down about 60 percent. People are not passing by. The road is blocked on both sides. People can’t come in,” said De Leon.
De Leon since the road closure said it's not easy to get to his business. On the east side, you have to bypass a barrier warning you the road ahead is closed; on the west side, you'll need to take a detour to get around the roadblock.
“Only locals come in. There are detours about half a mile from here on both sides. We don't have access,” said De Leon.
He said he hopes the project is completed soon so business can return.
TxDOT officials said the section of Military Highway between FM 1577 and FM 732 will remain closed until July 31.
News
