TWO Mernda businesses are on a road to nowhere with the Plenty Road duplication work hitting their passing trade hard.
The Nesci family’s egg farm and Provincial Meats traders claim they have become virtual prisoners behind roadwork barriers and other works.
Tony Nesci said a new median strip in Plenty Road blocked direct access to his driveway and the alternative couldn’t be seen by motorists.
“We’ve lost 95 per cent of business because only the diehards look hard enough to find our new entrance 100 metres beyond the farm and hidden on a crest of a hill,” he said. “There’s not enough signage and it’s not safe.”
News that the roadwork should be finished before Christmas could not have come soon enough for Hana Provenzano, who says Provincial Meats has lost 30 per cent of its business.
“This work has affected us mega big time,” she said. “It is very confusing; the signage is very small and the [new] entrance is on a bend on the road past our driveway.”
Ms Provenzano parks a truck with a sign “Yes we are open” at the new entry but said access to her business was still a nightmare.
“We’ve had meetings with VicRoads, the developer and councils, but there’s no compensation, it’s just our tough luck.”
VicRoads spokeswoman, Kelly Marshall, said developer AV Jennings was responsible for the roadwork affecting the meat business because it was building the intersection of Plenty Road and Riversdale Boulevard.
Although VicRoads was responsible for work affecting the egg farm, there was no compensation because “they have had access”, she said.
AV Jennings state manager Peter Vlitas said it was building the intersection “on behalf of VicRoads” through a contractor under VicRoads supervision.
