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City officials said they would try to arrange another meeting with MoDOT officials to discuss the traffic situation and invite business owners to express concerns.
"We're asking you to consider an alternate plan," said Jason Witte, who owns Rothschild's Restaurant on Fifth, two blocks west of Highway 47.
He said since Fifth was closed early last month his business has been down 11 percent, which has forced him to send employees home in the evenings. Witte suggested using police officers to open Fifth Street during the evening hours when traffic is light on Highway 47.
"We weren't informed. This was sprung on us. I learned about this from a customer," Witte remarked.
The state implemented the traffic changes Sunday, Oct. 11, when work began on the south half of the bridge. The coming changes had been reported extensively prior to that date.
The contractor, St. Louis Bridge Co., has added extra crews that are working around the clock, "seven days a week," to finish the project on time, Judy Wagner, MoDOT area engineer, said last week in an e-mail to city officials.
That e-mail was in response to questions by city officials if there was any changes that could be made to help businesses hurt by the closures.
"I asked the question what we could do about it, and the short answer is not a whole lot," Councilman Jeff Mohesky said. "The city doesn't have control over that."
Mohesky said he agrees with business owners. "In an economic downturn, any reduction in revenue is devastating," he said.
City Administrator Jim Briggs said traffic measures implemented during the major rehabilitation work have been a "collaborative" effort between the city, MoDOT, the contractor and key stakeholders.
Briggs said recommendations were made after studies by MoDOT's traffic "experts." The city doesn't have personnel with that expertise, but could hire its own traffic engineering consultant to review the situation and offer alternatives.
"By the time we do that, this will be over with," Mohesky remarked. "We have about six weeks to go."
Motorists on southbound Route 47 are able to make right and left turns onto Fifth Street, and northbound drivers can turn right to go east on Fifth, Briggs explained. "What you can't do is get across town on Fifth," he said.
Allison Miller, who owns Coppertan Tanning Salon, 400 E. Fifth St., said her business has dropped off from 30 clients a day to three. "It's killing me," she told the council.
Councilman John Rhodes said the city could put up signs at intersections to direct motorists by the end of the week."I wouldn't bank on MoDOT changing a thing," he said, adding that the changes have made getting across the bridge a "whole lot better," but is inconvenient for some.
Brian Gansereit, owner of Kreig Haus Hobby and Coin in Downtown Washington, said the Dec. 11 date to open both lanes on the bridge "doesn't seem realistic at all."
He said it seems that the city and state could open up Fifth Street at times during the day to let people through. "This is our livelihood. For a lot of us, this is not another issue. This is it. It's definitely keeping people away."
Briggs said MoDOT officials do understand the effect on businesses. "But as a state agency, they can't just be concerned about the effect on Washington." He said the other concern is the impact on traffic on the north side of the bridge.
Briggs said he's willing to set up a meeting between business owners and MoDOT officials.
