Traders in Heathmont Village are still weathering dwindling foot traffic due to ongoing roadworks, hoping things will return to normal when the project is complete next month.

What’s happening? The Department of Transport and Planning started roadworks at and near the intersection of Canterbury Road and Heathmont Road on April 17.

  • Dividing three main strips of shops, these roads provide access to a range of local businesses including a florist, cafes, homewares stores and the local Ritchies IGA.

With the completion expected in October, the project includes:

  • Upgrading the traffic lights with fully controlled right hand turns from Canterbury Road onto Heathmont Road, 

  • Providing a shared crossing for pedestrian and cyclists over Canterbury Road

  • Resurfacing Canterbury Road between Dickasons Road and Campbell Street.

What they said: A department spokesperson said “access to nearby businesses has remained available throughout the works”.

  • 🗣️ “We encourage locals to continue supporting them,” the spokesperson said. “We thank the community for their patience while these works are completed.”

Quiet days: The owner of gifts and homewares store Orchard Emporium, Jo Reid, said she opened on July 9. While foot traffic was initially “fantastic” she told the Eastern Melburnian work impacting access to her store had seen her customer base drop right off.

No direct support: Reid said the main issues were a “lack of communication” and a “lack of consideration for the traders”.

  • 🗣️ “The big thing for us now is to get people to come back to Heathmont Village on both sides of Canterbury Road and for people to start shopping again,” she said. “There’s no compensation available to us.”

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According to local traders, more than 30 people have taken a tumble in less than a year.

Holding on: The owner of health foods store Just Healthy for the past 11 years, Jacky Materia said her daily foot traffic was down by about two-thirds.

  • 🗣️ “All the stores are suffering,” she told the Eastern Melburnian “Everybody’s just trying their best to just make ends meet.”

What comes next: Materia said while plans for an October re-opening of all lanes and exits was hopeful, the moment of truth would be if visitors beyond their usual customer base turned into the strip.

  • 🗣️ “It used to be chockablock full and people used to have trouble parking,” she said. “Are people going to come back?”

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