Perfect Cuts is open for business, but owner Maryvale Orphey says the road-closed signs outside Galley Plaza make it difficult for some customers to see. See the full story in the video below Road closure leaves barber chairs em ptyOrphey opened the barbershop nearly eight years ago. Now, she and her employees say changing construction patterns near Galley and Wooten roads have made the shop harder to reach and left some of its chairs empty.If the customer is not coming, its no money, Orphey said. No money, we cant continue with the barber, and we need to work.The current closure began Aug. 10, when Wooten Road south of Galley Road closed at the intersection for the second phase of the Wooten Road and Galley Road Culvert Improvements project.The city is repairing and extending an aging box culvert beneath the intersection. The large concrete drainage structure carries stormwater underneath the road while supporting the intersection above it.Crews completed work on the north half during the first phase and reopened Wooten Road north of Galley. They are now working on the southern half, requiring the closure south of the intersection.A signed detour directs drivers around the closure using Geiger Boulevard and Babcock Road. The city says businesses at Galley Plaza remain accessible by approaching from the south side of Wooten Road.Employees at Perfect Cuts say access on a map does not always translate into customers finding the parking lot.They dont know how to get here into the parking lot, employee Luis Hernandez said. They think we are closed because they see construction, and they go away.Hernandez said the barbershop has seen fewer walk-in customers during the closures. Some regular customers call for directions, while others choose a shop that is easier to reach.The Perfect Cuts team has started calling customers, handing out business cards and posting its own signs to remind people that the shop remains open. Employee Fatima Chavez said those efforts have limits when traffic is directed away from the business.If the road is closed, nobody is going to see the signs, Chavez said. So its rough.Ryan Phipps, capital improvements manager for City Engineering, said the city places signs directing drivers to alternate entrances when construction affects normal business access.If we have to have a particular access closed for one reason or another, we will sign their alternate access so that we make sure that businesses have their access provided for their customers, Phipps said.The culvert project is also expected to improve drainage and pedestrian access through new sidewalks, curb ramps and crosswalks. Phipps said the work is part of a broader effort to preserve the citys transportation infrastructure before Galley Road is resurfaced.When the city is here reinvesting in bridge maintenance, utility work and resurfacing roadways, its an indicator to the area that the city is investing in this area the city is valuing this area, Phipps said.The city expects traffic through the intersection to return to normal around the first week of October. Crews would continue finishing work after the road reopens, with the entire project expected to wrap up around Halloween. Both dates remain weather-dependent.For the people working at Perfect Cuts, reopening the road could be the first step toward rebuilding customer traffic.It will probably take a little bit of time for the customers to come back, Chavez said. But when they know the roads are open, thats going to be awesome.What drivers should know Closure: Wooten Road south of Galley Road is closed at the intersection. Detour: Drivers can use Geiger Boulevard and Babcock Road. Business access: Businesses remain open and can be reached from the south side of Wooten Road. Intersection reopening: The city is targeting approximately the first week of October, weather permitting. Project completion: Remaining work is expected to finish around Halloween, weather permitting.Drivers can text WOOTEN to 866-762-3640 for construction and traffic alerts.____Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less