Unexpected road closures have business owners on edge in White County

WHITE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - A sudden road closure has business owners on edge in White County. They say some notification would have been nice.

There wasn't a car in sight on 300 East between Monticello and Reynolds Tuesday.  Thomas' Phoenix Lawn and Garden store used to have a prime spot off US 24, but now construction has closed the intersection and business is feeling the hurt.

"If we go off of last year's figures, as a gross, it could be somewhere in that $1,100-$1,200 a day," said owner Shawn Thomas.

It also may cost potential customers of Phoenix and neighboring Rangeline Enterprises on US 24 an extra five miles.  The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) shut the intersection Tuesday morning to widen the intersection and install a flashing light. 

A spokesperson said the closure of 300 East should come as no surprise.

"I spoke to the project manager and he told me that the business owner was notified, months ago actually, as well as local authorities," said INDOT's Matt Deitchley.

But Shawn Thomas said INDOT never notified him.

White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer said INDOT delivered a notice about the closure Tuesday. Shafer said the notice was dated for March but the department was unaware of the closure until it happened.

But Matt Deitchley said INDOT did notify the sheriff's office back in March. Either way, he said INDOT will take action to try and make the situation better.

"We're going to put up some signs later this week notifying drivers that his business obviously is open and it's just a different accessible so you have to come up through the south side to get to his business, you just can't go off of 24," said Deitchley.

Thomas said when construction is done, he knows it will be safer for his customers. He just hopes when it's finished he can continue on with his busy season.

"We had customers coming in and now it's just kind of stopped everybody," said Thomas.

Customers can still access both Phoenix and Rangeline Enterprises coming up from the south on 300 East.
    
INDOT officials expect 300 East at 24 to be closed for one month. The total project should be complete by September.