How Sherman businesses coped with downtown detour
SHERMAN, Texas (KTEN) — The Texas Department of Transportation closed North Travis Street at U.S. 75 in January as part of a project to build the highway's new southbound overpass in Sherman.
The resulting detour caused a major headache for some drivers.
"There was really not a great way to get underneath the highway, other than waiting at the light at Washington Street, which took a long time," said City of Sherman spokesperson Nate Strauch.
Travis Street is now open again, and downtown businesses were ready for the resumption.
"Luckily, we've got some loyal customers," said Carol Davis with Interior HomeStore. "We didn't see that big of a dropoff... maybe about 5 percent of a dropoff ... our customers the past 41 years have really supported and loved on us, and we consider ourselves a destination store, and our customers managed to find the detours."
CJ's Coffee Cafe adjusted to the closure by putting up signs for their customers.
"They could see, 'Hey, just take a quick easy right here, hop to the coffee shop, pull up and hang to the left,' and they were able to just jump back on to the freeway," said owner Drew Duffer. "Social media helped out a little bit, too, letting everyone know, 'Hey, we're still here, and we'd appreciate your business!'"
TxDOT plans to close the Travis Street underpass again in the next couple of months to build the other side of the U.S. 75 overpass.