A portion of Plaza Street is closed for about two weeks for road construction concerning the airport expansion.

People looking to reach businesses Plaza Landscaping & Garden Center and Freeborn Lumber Co. from Bridge Avenue near its Interstate 90 intersection will instead have to reach the businesses from the west end of Plaza Street, from Freeborn County Road 20.

For the businesses affected, there are mixed feelings about the construction.

Dick Rocklin, president of Plaza Landscaping, said the construction came at a bad time. He said there’s about a six-week window for companies selling annuals and this two-week construction on Plaza Street is right in the middle of that window.

“I just don’t think there was very good planning or any consideration given to any businesses on Plaza Street,” Rocklin said.

Annual plants in the greenhouse at Plaza are 25 percent off because, Rocklin said, he’s worried many customers will just go to a different store to buy spring plants. He also said it will be especially difficult for the customers coming from out of town via I-90.

The trucks that deliver products to and from Plaza Landscaping and Freeborn Lumber have to drive north on Bridge Avenue to Good Samaritan Society and west on Freeborn County 14, then south on Freeborn County 20 just to reach Plaza Street.

John Miller, owner of Freeborn Lumber, said he’s not concerned it will affect his business.

“It’s a minor inconvenience that we can go around. Hopefully nobody gets upset,” Miller said.

Miller said people can feel free to call if they have any trouble finding the store.

People can reach the businesses from Bridge Avenue by going west on Richway Avenue, which becomes Freeborn County 20 as it stretches north. Before the road bridges I-90, it junctions with Plaza Street. Turn east on Plaza.