A Prince Charles Drive business owner, incensed over the closure of the road directly in the front of his business, attempted to stop workers from closing the road yesterday.  Owner of Builders Mart Fred Rahming, said he became so frustrated yesterday because of the road construction and road closure between Fox Hill Road and Pine Barren Road that he had to take matters into his own hands.  Rahming said he narrowly avoided a physical confrontation with one of the men working on the road.

He also accused the Ministry of Public Works of not caring about the business owners on Prince Charles Drive, who have had their businesses interrupted for five months now.  "This is becoming so frustrating that you don't know what to do and school is about to open," said Rahming.

"I have no means of sending my children back to school.  I haven't made a penny in days and weeks."  Rahming claimed the Ministry of Public Works announced that it would open Prince Charles Drive to two-way traffic, but he found out yesterday that it was only opened to one-way traffic.

And he also claimed the ministry was attempting to close it off again yesterday.  Ministry of Public Works officials were unavailable for comment up to press time yesterday.  A worker with road works contractors Jose Cartellone Construcciones Civiles (JCCC) said he was instructed by his bosses to make the road between Fox Hill Road and Pine Barren Road one-way.

Rahming said the closures and inaccurate information from the Ministry of Public Works have even negatively affected customers who once frequented area businesses.  "People drive down here and then they have to turn around and spend another five or six dollars in gasoline to go to another store," he said.

While he conceded that JCCC and the Ministry of Public Works are making progress, he said they have not been accommodating to the business owners.  "Nobody is saying anything," said Rahming.  "You come and close a whole road and you don't tell the business people; you don't tell the people in the area.

"Nobody from the Ministry of Works would come and say anything to us.  The country on autopilot or what?  There is some progress made but there is no need for the closure if you already have one surface paved."  A group of business owners in the area held a small protest at the intersection of the closed portion of Prince Charles Drive and Fox Hill Road last month, declaring their impatience in regards to the ongoing road construction, which they said has ruined their businesses.

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