Firms May Seek Damages For Ongoing Road Work

As work continues on a 1.5-mile stretch of Idaho Highway 8, the attorney for five business owners said his clients are waiting before deciding whether to seek compensation for alleged lost income.

John W. Walker said construction on the $2.75 million project has gone beyond inconvenience and robbed his clients of income in amounts yet to be figured. Walker already has filed tort claims for damages against the Idaho Department of Transportation.

He said more legal action is possible.

Two of the business owners offered an estimate of the money they say they have lost because customers continue to avoid the road construction.

“It’s just extremely expensive,” said Darrell Tonn, owner of Husky Sport Shop. “My gasoline is probably the most affected.”

Tonn said his records show a shortfall of $130,000 in gasoline sales compared to the year before construction began. He said his sporting goods sales have dropped between 30 percent and 40 percent.

The widening project started and was supposed to be completed last summer. The work has caused traffic problems and at times blocked entrances to businesses along the highway.

John Mills of McDonald’s said sales at the fast-food restaurant have dropped about 15 percent because of the construction congestion.

Jeff Hill, sales manager at James Toyota, declined to estimate the amount of revenue lost. “When there’s no entrance into the building, it’s kind of hard to do business,” he said.

Devin Rigby, assistant district engineer for the Idaho Department of Transportation, conceded that the construction project has been delayed and has caused inconvenience to businesses. But he said the department continues to work with the contractor to complete the roadway by mid-June.