Construction, while a necessary part of life, nevertheless comes with its fair share of headaches and challenges. It alters how we get from one place to another, causes delays and in general can cause inconveniences across the board in our everyday lives. Such is the case regarding the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s massive Interstate 90 bridge projects. While the first round of bridge construction created challenges in how we get to places, this most recent bridge — Fourth Avenue NW — is having a very direct impact on businesses along that road, right next to the interstate. Businesses like Scooters Coffee, Hardee’s, Burger King, Kwik Trip and Cheers Liquor are all being directly impacted by the bridge construction as are those businesses on the north side. Is it impossible to get to these places? No, not for those of us in town, but it puts a pretty inconvenient hurdle in the way of those who might have been lured off of Interstate 90 for a quick bite or for some coffee. For those drivers who see the construction coming, it is just as easy to stop off at an exit before or after or simply wait for the next community or city. I-90 provides a sizable chunk of revenue for businesses alongside it, just as many interstates in the state and in the country do. It’s why you see so many of these types of businesses at or near exits and entrances. As community members, we ask that you keep these businesses in mind, even if it takes going the long way in order to reach them. Those traveling on the interstate have no sense of our community, but for those of us living in the community, that sense of supporting our businesses is something we see every day. Again, while a vast majority of us will have no issues getting to these businesses, we ask you to consider making that extra effort in supporting them. We’re not asking you to make a special trip after reading this, but we are asking you to not leave them behind. A business closing results in more than one less place to get a burger or a cup of coffee. It affects those with jobs and it affects our overall business community, which is a foundation of what we have here in Austin. This will come up again when construction shifts to 14th Street NW a little ways down the road. Remember, when construction ends, the roads are better. When a business ends, the community suffers. The post Our opinion: Keep businesses near interstate in mind appeared first on Austin Daily Herald.