Business owners from Joyce to Sekiu say they can’t wait for cars and trucks to again travel on state Highway 112.
The scenic highway across the western top of the North Olympic Peninsula opens to one-lane traffic today.
On Thursday, 1½ months of detours caused by a road closure to build a new Jim Creek culvert will end.
“I am pretty pleased that it is reopening,” said Salt Creek Market Inc. owner Jim McLeod.
“It has made things pretty rough for business.”
McLeod said although his business has a loyal local customer base, he still had to lay off employees.
“We lost all of the people coming through during the peak fishing season,” he said.
“It was a mediocre summer, which did not leave us in the financial situation to take this kind of extended period of the road being closed.”
The detour required drivers bound for Clallam Bay, Sekiu and Neah Bay to travel a longer route via Sappho.
