The struggle continues for stores, restaurants and businesses in a highway construction zone in Colleyville along busy, business-heavy Texas 26 between John McCain Road to Brown Trail.
Some businesses have relocated to unaffected areas of the city while others have not been able to survive at all and closed.
Driving through the construction zone many will notice a sign in front of Kountry Klippers that seems to echo what many business owners are feeling.
"Well, we decided to put 'bless this mess' up here because it has been a mess and for almost two and half to three years," Sandra Allman said. "Multiple lane closures, multiple business driveway closures. It’s just been a mess and the best we can do it just say ‘bless it’ and hope that we survive it at the end of the day."
Kountry Klippers has been in Colleyville for nearly 40 years and they have been luckier than most because they have longtime customers who have continued coming to the location, but even those customers have had issues.
"Our customers will still call us and say, 'how do we get into your shop?' They’re still confused about it," Tracy Tollett said.
The city of Colleyville have launched several initiatives to help affected businesses.
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Now, the city has launched a joint program with the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District to drive business to the construction zone.
Schools and parents will collect receipts businesses that are affected by the construction. The school PTA with the most receipts will win cash for their schools. The top three schools will get $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively which every participating school getting $500.
"Colleyville understands that these businesses have chosen to invest in Colleyville and we want to support them," Assistant City Manager Adrienne Lothery said. "We understand that going through a major corridor of construction can be challenging, but the city is here to work with them and partner so that they can be successful."
City officials hope the program is mutually beneficial. It will pump money into the businesses and local schools.
A similar version of this plan was used last year to help the struggling businesses.
"Our estimate was $2 million in taxable sales generated from the program," Lothery said.
Businesses owners are also rallying around each other to make sure no one else has to close.
"We all went and had lunch [at a local barbecue restaurant] to support other businesses in the area and let them know that we know what you are going through," Allman said.
