Merchants and motorists in Youngwood are frustrated with the street closures and traffic interruptions that have been associated with reconstruction of the Route 119 corridor through town.

They’ll have to bear with some disruptions for about another year, as the $24.1 million project isn’t scheduled to be completed until fall 2023.

Several Youngwood businesspeople said Monday they’ve had little warning about temporary changes in traffic patterns — including changes in access to their stores and which side streets off Route 119 were open or closed.

“The last three weeks have not been terrific for us,” said Katy Cook, assistant manager at the Shop ’n Save supermarket. The grocery store anchors a plaza along Third Street, which normally carries two lanes of northbound traffic on Route 119 through Youngwood.

“It’s not been as bad as it could be, but it’s not been great,” Cook said. “They’ve been shutting down both entrances and exits to the plaza. That definitely took a toll on business the last two or three weeks. They got it fixed last week, so I’m hoping that’s something good.”

At one point, the only way to access the plaza was from the rear, via an adjacent side street — Hillis Street, Cook said.

But there are no signs pointing out that entrance to motorists who aren’t familiar with the plaza, she said.

“It’s been quite frustrating,” she said. “Business has definitely went down. We still have our in-town customers, and we have a little bit of outsiders who still do come from different areas. But it’s definitely less with all this (construction) going on.”

Pat Krautz, a lifelong Youngwood resident who works at the plaza, said there aren’t as many vehicles parked there as there used to be.

“I think a lot of people pass this place up,” she said. “You don’t get a lot of drive-by traffic stopping.”

Krautz said she tries to get through town while using Route 119 — including the two southbound lanes on Fourth Street — as little as possible.

“Living here, I know the back roads,” she said. “That’s what I take.”

Jeremy Conard, a Youngwood resident who stopped to make purchases at the plaza Monday, agreed.

“I try to avoid this whole stretch as much as possible,” he said. “I’m sure it’s needed, but I’ll be looking forward to seeing (road construction) done.”

Misty Huber of New Stanton said she has to drive through the Youngwood work area regularly to reach services in Greensburg.

“I’ll really be excited to see it finished,” she said.

On Monday, she picked up groceries at the Shop ’n Save, where she used to work.

“Depending on what time of the day you were coming, or what day of the week, you might get to work in five minutes or 30 minutes,” she said.

PennDOT’s goal by the end of November is to have paving completed on both lanes of Third Street.

As of Monday afternoon, the right-hand lane of Fourth Street (southbound Route 119) was closed throughout the project area, while a portion of the right-hand lane of Third Street also was closed. Portions of the sidewalk, which is being improved, were closed along both streets.

According to PennDOT officials, work is expected to continue on the southbound lanes, including drainage and earthwork on the passing lane.

The road is expected to be paved and completely open in both directions by September of next year.

That can’t come soon enough for staff at the Youngwood Corner Market, at Fourth and Depot streets.

Assistant manager Alyssa Shipley said the construction and its related street closures are “definitely hurting our business, but we’re making it.”

Gregory Ruffo, who operates Ruffo’s Auto Repair on Fourth Street, has been affected by last-minute changes in how the public can access his business.

“It’s kind of crazy,” he said.

But the project manager for general contractor Golden Triangle Construction “did what he could,” providing alternate access to his shop, Ruffo said.

”At least for me, they have tried to do the best they could to not affect you in a severe way,” Ruffo said. “For me, being a one-man operation, that’s a big thing.”

Once completed, the reconstructed Route 119 corridor will feature chicanes — a shift in the parking lane, and sidewalk “bump-outs,” from one side of the street to the other. It’s intended to slow traffic through town.

Krautz is among those who are skeptical.

“I don’t see how that’s going to slow traffic down,” she said. “I’m worried there’s going to be a lot of accidents, that people are going to hit (the bump-outs) without realizing it.”

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