Concern is growing among Alpine Centre merchants about the impact an extensive road project will have on their businesses.

Work is scheduled to take place on Kalamalka Road from Alpine Centre to 14th Avenue for five months this year, starting in April.

And for two of those months, the city may close the road completely between Browne Road and Alpine Centre.

Dave Straughan, owner of Uncle Dave's Pizzeria, said the closure could have a devastating impact on the 41 Alpine Centre businesses.

Straughan said the roadwork will be done during prime tourism season and will impact business no matter what, but to divert all traffic from the area for eight weeks will be difficult to survive.

So, Straughan has launched a petition to have the city have single-lane alternating traffic throughout the work project.

“There are 41 businesses in here, and if they don't think it will effect us, it is,” said Straughan, who has been in the centre for 22 years.

“I would like to see alternating traffic. As long as we're getting our share of the traffic coming through, which is fine, but just to block it off totally is just not right.”

Straughan has collected dozens of names on the petition that he plans to present to city officials Monday.

Mayor Akbal Mund pointed out the road closure has not yet been finalized and if the majority of businesses want alternating traffic, he will support them, but there are other factors to consider.

Mund said alternating traffic would extend the amount of time it takes to complete the road work and would backup traffic at both ends of the project.

“If the majority of businesses want the road to stay open that's fine, but we don't want to hear a lot of bellyaching from people about backed up traffic,” he said.