Businesses question timing of Oak Island road work

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — Just days before the official start to summer, crews have begun paving a main strip of road in Oak Island.

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the work on East Oak Island Drive began yesterday and is expected to be completed in four weeks. Crews are scheduled to work Monday through Friday during daylight hours, except during the week of Independence Day.

Some are frustrated that this work is being done during tourist season, including Peggy Troetti, who works at Bubba’s Burlington Outlet and Sweet Paradise. She says the store’s business is being negatively impacted by the road work.

“I believe it’s very difficult for the people that live here and also for the tourists that come in because they’re not able to get from Point A to Point B,” Troetti said. “This is the worst time of year that they could possibly do it. They should do it when it’s slow, like the winter time.”

Troetti says getting from one side of the island would usually take about five minutes. With this work going on, it takes 15 to 30 minutes.

Several other business owners shared Troetti’s concerns but did not want to speak on camera.