A bridge too far: Business down due to road project –

LUMBERTON There was a time when scoring a table at Uncle Georges restaurant was difficult.

Times have changed.

For 20 years, the restaurants menu of sandwiches, pizza and Italian specialties drew a mix of truckers, lawmen, office workers and families. Today, diners are few and far between.

Uncle Georges co-owner Sue Vasilopoulos blames the downturn on the nearby construction of a new bridge on U.S. 301.

Vasilopoulos, who opened the Fayetteville Road restaurant with her husband George in 1993, said the decrease in traffic to her establishment has been unprecedented.

We used to have a full house during lunch, now we only serve four to six tables, she said. The loss has been tremendous, people avoid this area because they dont want to deal with the congestion.

The eatery can accommodate up to 95 customers.

In August 2012, Devere Construction Company of Alpena, Michm. was awarded a $12.9 million contract to replace the old bridge with a diverging diamond interchange over Interstate 95. Vasilopoulos said she noticed an immediate drop in business when construction started in September 2012.

The project is currently running ahead of schedule and is expected to be completed by November, according to Chuck Miller, district engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Vasilopoulos attributes the decrease in business to a number of factors, including the widespread use of safety cones and other construction indicators near her restaurant.

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A bridge too far: Business down due to road project -