To help people find her restaurant during construction on Santa Fe Drive, a Denver business owner put up her own detour signs before learning about another nearby closure.
Since work began in August, El Taco de Mexico owner Sasha Zanabria says sales are down about 30%.
Here's what to know
According to CBS Colorado, the voter-approved Vibrant Denver Bond Program includes a $29 million Santa Fe Streetscapes Project, which will remake Santa Fe Drive from West 6th to West 13th Avenues. Plans call for improved infrastructure for pedestrians.
El Taco de Mexico has long been a neighborhood fixture, recognized for its smothered burritos and green chili. Zanabria, who took over the restaurant after her parents died, said the construction "slows consumer base down a little bit, just because it adds time to people's routes."
Zanabria said the biggest challenge has been communicating traffic changes as the project moves forward. After she installed her own signs directing drivers to West 7th Avenue, she said she discovered that route would be closed, too.
"Nobody notified me that 7th was going to be closed. How are other businesses who are not as actively involved? How are they getting their information?" she said. "The way that the communication and the traffic has been handled by the city leaves a lot to be desired because it's not there."
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More background
The construction is unfolding in multiple phases and is expected to last for years. CBS Colorado reported that Denver Water began work on more than 2,800 feet of old water main on Aug. 10. The utility said on Oct. 8 that the 136-year-old main replacement was more than halfway finished and still on pace for completion by the end of 2026.
Another phase involves Xcel Energy, which was set to start gas-main replacement on Oct. 12.
CBS Colorado also reported that Swift's Breakfast House and the Nail and Skin Studio said the closures have been difficult, even though they understand the need for the upgrades.
What's being done?
City officials say the project remains on schedule and that crews are coordinating construction to reduce disruption. Denver also says at least one traffic lane will remain open during streetscape work and that local businesses will stay accessible.
The city is routing through-traffic to East 6th Avenue and northbound Speer Boulevard and urging residents to keep visiting Santa Fe businesses, including during First Friday Art Walks, which are still expected to happen as scheduled.
Some business owners say those measures do not go far enough. They are calling for financial relief similar to what the Denver Urban Renewal Authority provided during construction along East Colfax Avenue. When that happened, about $1 million in Community STAND grants was distributed to affected businesses during the BRT Rapid Transit Project.
"In six months, a business can go under if you're living paycheck to paycheck," Zanabria said. "Being a small business owner sometimes isn't as glamorous as people think."
Where can I learn more?
When streets are rebuilt or rerouted, the effects can ripple through nearby businesses and neighborhoods.
• In a neighborhood dispute, residents said a wall outside a restaurant disrupted Día de los Muertos mural views.
• Alaskan villages warned the controversial Ambler road project could erase jobs, hunting access, and stability.
• Residents in Mumbai, India, lashed out after trees were felled for road widening despite official climate promises.
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