SURREY — It's strawberry season, and operators of Surrey Farms are devastated saying the city is impacting their ability to do business.
Owner Mandy Rai is irate with the city after it rerouted traffic due to construction of the 152nd Street Overpass.
"It's peak time for strawberry (season)," Rai noted. "My business it totally dead now. I don't know what to do."
Rai said when the city began rerouting traffic on Monday, June 9, business dropped off immediately.
She said regular access off of 152nd Street isn't available, and customers are confused.
Heading south on 152nd Street, the turnoff onto Link Road, which connects to the farm, happens immediately after driving over the overpass.
Likewise when driving north on 152nd Street, farm customers would have to take a right on Link Road immediately before the overpass, but with construction seemingly blocking off the entrance to Link Road, prospective patrons of the farm aren't sure they can access the spot.
As far as Rai knows, she's the only farmer growing strawberries in the city.
"Usually, strawberry (season) is a very, very busy time, I make very good money in the strawberries," she said. "Now I'm losing."
Rai said she approached the city and it was decided a traffic control person would be deployed at the site. She claims the traffic control personnel are there sometimes, but not consistently.
"City guys give me a very, very hard time. I don't know where to go. Now, I just sit at home, and for two days, I've been very upset," she said, adding that strawberries are her livelihood.
"All year, you're working hard. Then you're trying to make money and then something like this happens," she said.
"They never told us before. Then I see the sign, says closing June 9 to 20, then I go to city hall and I talked to city hall, she said they didn't understand why it would hurt the business."
She would have liked to see the city do the work at nighttime, so as to not impact her business during such a crucial time.
Amer Afridi, Surrey's traffic signals team leader, said there are three signs directing vehicles to the farmers' market for southbound direction.
"Also for the northbound direction, there are three signs installed in advance starting before Serpentine River Bridge for turning at (the) farmers' market through Link Road," said Afridi.
He said the city considered the option of working at night, but said "the resources are low for night work as the paving contractor is fully booked and it may delay the project as we would like to complete it fairly quickly."
Afridi said he spoke to the contractor, and they say they have maintained full access to the farm. He said there are traffic control personnel on site, allowing them to go to the farm.
As well, Afridi said the city has installed signage, explaining how to access the farm from both directions.
"We told them to prioritize it," Afridi said last week about the project. "By next Thursday (today), the road should be finalized and the link road should be open," he said, noting that weather could possibly delay the construction.
But Rai says that's too little, too late, seeing as her strawberry season only goes until about the end of June.
"My business is totally dead," she said.