TROY, Mich. – Some businesses along Rochester Road in Troy say ongoing roadwork is cutting into their bottom line.
Construction to widen Rochester Road into a six-lane corridor began late last year and has been underway for months, according to the city of Troy’s website.
While business owners said they understand the need for the project, they also noted it’s creating day-to-day challenges.
“It was getting better, then the construction hit, and I don’t see any new faces,” said Richard Kowalski, owner of High Score Ice Cream and Arcade. “If you’ve never been here before, you’re not going to fight all this construction.”
Kowalski said part of his parking lot has been torn up and, at times, the entrance to his business is blocked while crews work. Confusing traffic patterns and lane closures have also made it harder for customers to figure out where to turn.
To make up for the drop in foot traffic, Kowalski has expanded his hours and leaned into promotions. High Score used to operate from noon to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Now, it stays open from noon to midnight.
“I’ve been doing a lot of specials like Monday dollar-off shakes, Tuesday ‘two-scoop Tuesday,’” Kowalski said.
Kowalski also said he stayed open later, hoping more people would come into his shop after the construction was done.
Other businesses along the same stretch of Rochester Road report similar struggles.
An employee at a nearby Indian restaurant said construction has significantly reduced sales in February and throughout most of last month.
On Tuesdays, when the restaurant runs a special, the worker said they used to see about 35 orders before the roadwork began. That number has dropped to between 10 and 15 orders each Tuesday.
That employee added that it appears some customers are starting to come back, since there isn’t as much construction in front of their plaza as there was last month.
Still, Kowalski said he tries to keep perspective. Some of the construction workers, he noted, have become customers themselves, stopping in for ice cream on their breaks and expressing sympathy for the disruption.
Kowalski said he’s looking forward to the project’s completion. He believes the widened road could ultimately benefit his business.
“When this is done, and there are more lanes, that’s more people driving past us,” he said. “Hopefully that means more customers.”
The city of Troy’s communications director told Local 4 through email that construction on the road is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.