When the Kansas Department of Transportation announced last week that the northbound and southbound lanes of Haskell Avenue from 27th to 29th streets would close for more than a year starting Jan. 27, many business owners in the area were concerned.

Jimmy Baker, who owns K’s Tires just north of the 29th and Haskell road block at 2720 Oregon St., said he was taken by surprise when he discovered the news by reading a sign on the way to work last week.

“I’m frustrated that the city or state weren’t communicating with us about this,” Baker said. “We pay so much in taxes, you’d think they could send us a letter.”

But Kimberly Qualls, a KDOT spokeswoman, said the state rarely sent personal notifications of construction and that this project was being handled in the usual way.

“This is just a two-block closure,” Qualls said. “It’s being handled the same way every other construction project has in the state.”

The portion of Haskell Avenue from 27th to 29th streets is set to remain closed until spring of 2015 while workers do utility work, box-culvert installation and reconstruction to connect Kansas Highway 10 to the South Lawrence Trafficway.

Additionally, the intersection of Haskell Avenue and 29th Street will close on March 1 until early 2015 for reconstruction. KDOT will construct a detour road using a portion of the existing Haskell Rail-Trail, located between 28th and 29th streets for accessing businesses on 29th Street west of Haskell Avenue.

Darwin Heyd, owner of 23rd Street Liquor in the strip mall at the intersection of Haskell Avenue and 23rd Street, said after 10 years in the area he’s been hit with plenty of construction ordeals.

“I remember when they redid the bridge (on East 23rd Street) they made us suffer for a year before they got it fixed,” Heyd said. “Now we’re looking at another year.”

Many of Heyd’s customers come in from Baldwin City and the construction on Haskell will make it difficult for those coming from the South. Though his store is on a major road, Heyd said the traffic often makes it nearly impossible to turn into his parking lot from 23rd Street.

“I’m sure (the construction) will hurt small-business owners,” Heyd said.

Specialty stores may be in a better position to handle the impact of the construction. Mo Lones, owner of LSX Kilr Custom Calibrations, said he thought the Kansas Highway 10 and South Lawrence Trafficway connector would bring in more customers.

“Most customers come from outside Lawrence and they want direct routes,” he said. “It will be easier to guide my Topeka and Kansas City customers here.”

In the meantime, without official detour routes marked, he plays navigator for his customers who call for directions. His building, at 920 ½ E. 28th St. is only visible from Haskell Avenue between 27th and 28th streets, meaning that while his customers can physically reach the store, they have trouble knowing where to go.

“If they’re not coming from 23rd Street, they have to go up to Louisiana, which is confusing for out-of-town people who don’t know the area” Lones said. “I’ve had to redirect four different people since Monday and I’m spending longer on the phone, holding their hands and telling them, ‘yes, you’re going the right way.'”

As of now, Qualls said KDOT had no plans to provide marked detours for the area.

Though the two-block obstruction has made travel difficult for some of her customers, Becca Copeland, book keeper at Conoco Come ‘N Go, 955 E. 23rd St. said she thought most loyal customers would keep coming.

“This place is like that TV show ‘Cheers.’ Everyone knows your name and even what cigarettes you want,” Copeland said. “I’m hopeful those regular customers will go out of their way to get here.”

Still, Copeland said the block-off would likely hurt the convenience store this summer when the gas station doubles as a bait shop.

“We have customers that stop here on their way to Mary’s Lake or Clinton Lake,” Copeland said. “That’s what’s going to hurt us is when they can’t get through on Haskell.”