Franklin Road Work Progress Irks Locals

FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Some business owners in Franklin said road construction is shrinking their bottom line.

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Pioneer Credit, which is located in the Independence Chopping Center in Franklin, is normally filled with customers, but owners said business has slowed.

"Business has really gone down. Nobody wants to get through the construction. It’s a long wait, it’s hard to get out," said Pioneer Credit employee Angela Ray.

Ray has had a close look at the Del Rio Pike construction, which she said has been going on way too long.

The project started in January 2007 and was supposed to be completed by January of this year. But the biggest delay, according to city officials, has been trying to install underground utilities.

"The utilities there are about 60 years old, and so we didn’t know where they were. So as soon as we’d start digging in a place we’d hit a utility pole. All of those had to be set somewhere else or relocated," said City of Franklin spokeswoman Monique McCullough.

But residents said it doesn't seem like much work is being done. Heavy equipment sat idle while Channel 4’s Larry Flowers reported on a near perfect day to work outside.

Customers said trying to get in and out of the parking lot is one thing but on any given day the dust is almost unbearable.

"You come through here and then the dust is all up or if it’s flying around in your eyes and stuff, you can't see. You might, you know, have an accident because you have to wipe your eyes or whatever. It’s just a major problem," said Franklin resident Latisha Burns.

The construction is expected to be finished in about two months barring any more delays.

"I'll be most definitely glad when they are done. Maybe it'll bring some more business back over here," Ray said.

The Del Rio Pike project is also over budget. The original cost was a little more than $2 million, but it has cost almost $3 million.