Businesses along the Bypass anticipate economic effects of road construction

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Bowling Green Municipal Utilities contractor began work on US Highway 31-W Bypass today.

The northbound outside lane will be closed from Park Street to State Street for approximately 60 days while construction continues on the water treatment plant.

The construction spells traffic delays in the area.

Local businesses say the traffic could be damaging to their businesses, but a major concern is safety of those pulling in and out of their parking lots.

“It’s a tight (spot) to get out of anyway and get into so the slow traffic will impact our access and entry to the site,” said Kelly Holcomb, principal of Western Kentucky Operations of WEHR Construction.

Hasan Al Hamid, owner of Bowling Green Body Service, said the traffic is already bad and he sometimes has to wait for multiple minutes to leave work.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s public information officer, Wes Watt, reminds the public to be cautious upon driving through the area.