Construction on Airport and Academy causes major headaches for business owners in the area

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)--Small businesses in southeast Colorado Springs are frustrated with road work that they say is slowing their sales and causing accidents.

The construction on Airport Rd. and Academy Blvd. started in late February and since then, business owners say they are feeling the impacts because drivers are trying to avoid the area. 

"It's like the faucet just turned off. There is hardly anybody that wants to go by this area because of the construction and traffic," said Phil Boden, Co-Owner of Pedacito Boricua Café.

The Colorado Springs Police Department said they've been called out to that area because of multiple car crashes. One that happened on Tuesday, April, 16 left one car upside down and two others with smashed doors and broken windows. 

"Several accidents have happened here because of it. There's always a delay now and people have to switch lanes constantly. One day you can drive on one lane, the next day that lane is closed," said Mildred Boden, Co-Owner of Pedacito Boricua Café

Boden said since construction on that intersection started, everything has changed for them. 

"There was an accident that actually left us without electricity for several hours, and that's because a car hit a transmitter here and it left several locations in the shopping center without light," added Boden.  

"Spring is here and summer is gonna hit and it's going to be our busy season and we are expecting a lot of business. But if the traffic is the way it is, it's going to affect us tremendously and that could be detrimental to our business," said Phil Boden.  

According to the City of Colorado Springs website, the construction project is in its final phase.