CANTON, Ohio — The Perry Drive Improvement Project continues in Canton.
Crews began widening the area between State Route 172 and Southway Street last year. At the end of the project, a turn lane will be in the center of the road along with new sidewalks and street lighting for pedestrians.
Until then, it's causing some problems for local businesses.
Doug Ehert works at one of those businesses. He's the president of Tier One Car and Truck Accessories. He usually gets a steady flow of new car owners coming into his showroom, but that has changed.
"Now, it's almost impossible to get here," he said.
Construction has moved out of the business district and down to the residential area. Construction cones and other effects of the project still linger in front of Ehert's business.
"I get a lot of complaints from customers that are saying 'If I knew, it was this hard to get here, I would've just gone somewhere else,'" he said. "Which makes me think a lot of people know it's hard to get here, so they are just going somewhere else."
Ehert believes the road construction sign up the street from Tier One may be adding to the confusion. It says Perry Drive is closed a mile ahead with a smaller sign that says local businesses only.
Still, Ehert said he is not against the project. He just wants some answers on the status of the project.
News 5 was able to do just that. In an email, the Stark County Engineer's Office confirmed that the project is on track and could even finish before September of this year.
In regards to businesses like Ehert's, the office said access to their property has always been maintained. Detours were communicated before the project, but the office will continue to keep an open line of communication.
Meanwhile, Ehert anxiously awaits the project's completion. He knows the new turning lane and sidewalks will only help his business. In the age of tariffs and rising costs, this is just another knife twist.
"I need to survive this," he said. "I need to survive this construction time."
