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Durham bridge work has Oak Hill businesses complaining

Apr 20, 2023 12:21 pm

Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that the bridge over Ten Mile Creek on Route 81 in Durham will be closed and replaced for the next nine weeks. Until June 23, that means a detour to State Route 145. But Oak Hill business owners are complaining about the detour. Mary Lou Nahas, owner of I. U. Tripp, Antiques and Home Provisions, says, “There are signs about the detour on Highway 81, but they make no mention of Oak Hill. It is like Oak Hill does not exist.” She wants more signs, as other businesses in Oak Hill have reported fewer customers since the work began. “If you know the back roads you know how to get to Oak Hill. But if not, you do not know what to do,” Nahas said. “Since the businesses in Oak Hill derive much of their business from people coming from outside the community, this lack of direction hurts them.” Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.