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How Jacksonville's construction is impacting local businesses

Several Jacksonville businesses are struggling to make ends meet as construction crews work to overhaul a business highway in their area.

JACKSONVILLE, Ark. — If you've recently found yourself driving down North James Street in Jacksonville, then you know it's hard to miss the gravel roads, piles of dirt, and orange cones.

According to business owner Zach Hayes, another thing that might be hard to miss is the entrance to his store. 

"They blocked my entire business for weeks with tractors, 18-wheelers, dump trucks, everything well, you could not even see my building until you got to this small section where you could pull in," Hayes explained.

He is the co-owner of Comic Book Survivors in Jacksonville, and he said improvements along Highway 67 have been taking a toll on his business and on his wallet. 

"I am so broke at this point, I can't afford diapers and if I don't get sales on a daily basis, I can't pay myself ever. I had $9 in my bank account I couldn't afford to buy my daughter's diapers. and that was really my breaking point," Hayes described.

The construction has been part of the Arkansas Department of Transportation's plan to widen Highway 67 to six lanes and it will stretch about two-and-half miles. 

"All the barrels and detours and all that it's tough. We understand that, it's tough on me personally but it's also an indication of progress, that area needs to have better safer, wider roads, better-improved intersections, because it's growing," Dave Parker with ARDOT said. 

Parker said the road improvements are not intended to hurt businesses but rather to improve the community as a whole. 

"I don't like to have anyone feel like their business or home is impacted in a negative way. Sometimes it's something we can avoid. and we just hope we can get through it. And when the project is over, the improvements that will be made to that area only come back to help this particular business owner even more," Parker described.

However, Hayes said it's not about how much he's lost but how much he has left.

"We started this business because we felt like there was a community aspect missing. Everything is going online. and people are losing that sense of community that we're all wanting so badly. and so that was our main goal. Let's build a collectible store. That's community first," Hayes said.

He also said that their store is currently open and you can stop by if you're looking to buy comic books, Funko pops, Pokémon things, retro video games, vintage toys, and more.

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