FRUITA — Roundabouts being constructed at Raptor Road and the eastbound Interstate 70 exit ramp in Fruita are expected to be completed by the end of June, according to the city and the Colorado Department of Transportation.

That’s none too soon for some Fruita businesses located south of the interstate.

Some business people located in the Kokopelli Center are complaining that business has slowed since construction started last November.

Linda Callow opened the Mail Post, a franchise shipping and gift center, last July in the Kokopelli center. She’s “not happy” with the construction.

“I’ve lost half of the business I had before construction started,” Callow said.

The roundabouts are a joint $4 1/2-million project between Fruita and the Colorado Department of Transportation. The state contributed $3 1/2 million to the project, and the city is spending $1 million.

Fruita and CDOT conducted a traffic study on the 340 corridor and found signals were needed at the intersections of Jurassic, Raptor and the eastbound on and off ramps based on traffic numbers, said CDOT resident engineer Craig Snyder.

“You can’t have three signals that close together. Studies showed this location was ideal for a roundabout,” Snyder said.

Business owners say the construction discourages motorists from coming into south Fruita.

Pablo’s Pizza manager Matt Lucas said dinners there have not been affected much, but the construction has “pretty much eliminated our lunches.”

“They’re (construction workers) pretty much done at 6 o’clock. They’re not stopping cars at that point,” Lucas said.

Heather Scott, chief manager at the Loco store on Raptor Road, said business there has slowed down as well.

“Nobody wants to mess with it,” Scott said. “On weekends we pick up a little.”

Snyder and project engineer Asa Ferrington said they’re doing their best to accommodate local businesses. Their goal is to have the roundabouts functioning by Country Jam weekend (June 26), because business owners told them they didn’t want construction in the area during the months of July, August and September.

“The traffic is moving,” Ferrington said. “We have flaggers at every intersection, directing people, answering questions and keeping it moving.”

An employee at Enstrom’s Candies, who did not want to be identified, said there’s more traffic going east, but no westbound traffic.

However, “I don’t think it’s affected our business. I think we’re as busy as ever,” she said.

“The detour does run the traffic through the business area. They’re getting at least 3,000 extra car trips a day,” said City Manager Clint Kinney.

The thing these businesses need to remember, Snyder said, is “the growth is creating this traffic. Ultimately they’re going to be the benefactor of all this growth. You can’t have growth and not have modifications of the system.”

Project schedule meetings are held every Tuesday at 10 a.m. in the middle trailer on Raptor Road, just west of La Quinta Inn.

“The public is always welcome,” Ferrington said.

Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.