LEHIGHTON, Pa. — It's a slow go for drivers on Route 443 in Lehighton because of PennDOT's reconstruction project.
"It's a pain before they even started the construction. The traffic backs up sometimes on the weekend it'll be back up to the bridge coming all the way in," said Austin Roth of Lehighton.
But it's even slower for the businesses along the road.
Lorrie Koch works at Pet Store Universe in the Blakeslee Shopping Plaza.
She says business before the roadwork was steady.
"It was more normal and people came and went when they wanted to. Not so much thinking ahead, like if they wanted to come and get something for their dog they just came and got it. And now I think they try to get out here on 443 and complete as many things as possible in one trip so they don't have to keep coming out here," said Koch.
She says as a driver herself, she understands the reason why there are fewer customers in the pet store.
"They don't wanna sit on 443 in the heat, and in the traffic and you know," Koch said. "Getting here is not always fun I've actually ended up next door at the fast-food restaurant because I missed this exit and I know where this exit is."
For those driving on Route 443, it's a lot of stop and go, but for the businesses alongside, they say the construction is causing new challenges every day.
"It's a daily change in our schedule. It depends on each day. At times there's a single lane out there," said Rachel Robb, of Phoenix Physical Therapy. "So it just slows things down and we and kinda just look out the window and know what to expect each day."
Phoenix Physical Therapy is also in the Blakeslee Shopping Plaza.
The clinic director says the construction hasn't been good for their patients either.
"We have patients that are on a schedule here and it does make them late at times," Robb said. "But we push through that and were flexible with them if we know there going to be late. We just expect it at this point."
PennDOT says traffic patterns will stay the way they are for approximately the next seven to eight weeks and then will be switching to the eastbound side.
The project to improve this section of Route 443 is moving along on time and is currently on schedule to be completed in September 2024.