The work was supposed to be finished in May, but crews now say it won't be done until at least August.
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"It's been tough. It's taken an edge off of our increases every year," said Sherry Vernon, owner of the Pickin' Coop. "It hurts, you know?"
NCDOT told ABC11 that the construction project involved replacing a failing retaining wall. The project wasn't complete by August because crews needed a new design and the soil was too hard.
NCDOT said it is evaluating when to reopen the southbound lane.
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Meantime, businesses in the area are left in limbo.
"Hurry up! It's just frustrating because our customers are having trouble getting to us," Vernon said.