Anyone who drives between the Shoalhaven and Wollongong will have been slowed by the ongoing highway upgrades. Just as the Gerringong section of the highway upgrade nears completion, road works between Foxground and Berry have slowed us down. 

We might occasionally grumble about it but it is a small price to pay for such extensive and long-awaited improvements.

But it is a different thing altogether when your livelihood is put on hold by road works right out the front of your business that have gone way over time and prevented or deterred customers from coming in your front door. This has been the case in Berry for a number of businesses severely disrupted by road works delayed by bad weather. 

While those business owners are now relieved the job is finally done, they have been left badly out of pocket as customers have gone elsewhere. This echoes problems encountered by businesses in Quinns Lane, South Nowra, when desperately needed road works were undertaken there.

We fully accept bad weather can intervene to delay progress on road works and that to do the job properly requires an additional investment of time. We also sympathise with business owners, especially when they take a 30 per cent hit to their trade because things have gone pear-shaped. 

Shoalhaven City Council probably isn’t in a position to offer compensation to affected business operators but what it can do is plan such undertakings a little better to minimise the extent of the disruption. 

There is good news in this whole saga, however. Because the road has been completely rebuilt rather than simply resurfaced, it should last a long time, saving future businesses from the same kind of upheaval.