APPLETON (NBC 26) — Business owners near Interstate 41 in Appleton are feeling the financial strain of ongoing construction, with one nursery reporting sales down by 30-40% during what should be one of their busiest weekends of the year.
David Lindenstruth, owner of Van Zeeland Nursery & Landscape off Northland Avenue in Appleton, has seen a dramatic decrease in customer traffic due to the closure of a nearby overpass.
"This past weekend, which is one of our busiest of the year, sales were down 30-40%," Lindenstruth said.
The nursery, which relocated to benefit from higher traffic volume, is now experiencing significant challenges as customers struggle to find alternative routes to the business.
"It's a high volume traffic site. So we went from 5,000 cars at our old location to 30,000 cars per day. So now we're probably back down to less than 5,000 cars per day," Lindenstruth said.
The construction impacts extend beyond businesses to affect local schools as well. Appleton North High School students, parents and staff are dealing with longer commute times due to the roadwork.
When asked about the additional travel time, Principal Nate Werner of Appleton North High School estimated the impact.
"Oh, I would say…at least 15 additional minutes probably," Werner said.
Despite the inconvenience, Werner emphasized that construction delays won't be accepted as excuses for tardiness.
"Plan ahead, leave a little bit earlier, because we're not going to…we need you to be in class on time," Werner said.
Another staff member identified as Bloom reinforced this message: "You know, the construction we're going to try and be understanding but you need to be here for your education."
While most affected parties understand the necessity of the construction, they're eager for work near their locations to be completed this fall. However, according to the Department of Transportation, the overall I-41 project will continue into 2027.
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