A popular city centre bar claims their turnover "fell off the face of the earth" after Uisce Eireann opened a construction site outside their door.
Lemon and Duke is located just off Grafton Street on Lemon Street Lower and depends on footfall for a lot of their business. Lemon and Duke did receive a letter from Uisce Eireann informing them of the specifics of the works a week before they began.
And the water utility organisation, formerly known as Irish Water, have agreed to bring in a number of mitigation measures. After a tough January for the hospitality trade, Managing Director of the bar, Noel Anderson, was eager to get stuck into a busy February.
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However, Noel had a rude awakening when he saw the Uisce Eireann's building site "caging off" Lemon and Duke from the city yesterday. He said: "We didn't know the extent of the works and then yesterday we were caged off from the rest of the city.
"There is a huge amount of confusion for people - they just don't know where to go. If you walk through the mall [The Royal Hibernian Way], and you look in front of you all, all you see is cages.
"People are wondering how you get around it. We pay huge rates to Dublin City Council because of our proximity to Grafton Street but sure you're not going to attract anybody from Grafton Street because they will take one look and say there's nothing open down there.
He added: "Our turnover was down by over half yesterday alone...it dropped off the face of the earth. They are saying this will go on for a month."
"I am at that site for 13 years now and I have lost track of how many times that Duke Lane and Lemon Street has been dug up for some various reason - be it gas or water or paving."
Uisce Eireann told Dublin Live the fencing will be replaced by "smaller barriers" and flagmen will be introduced to direct pedestrians. A spokesman for Uisce Eireann said: "The project altogether will last four weeks.
"The works on Duke Lane Lower is expected to last three weeks, there will be the one week of works on Duke Lane Lower (North) which is a cul-de-sac and will not require a road closure.
"Additionally, Uisce Eireann have engaged further with businesses this week and a range of new mitigation measures designed to further reduce the impact of the works will be in place from tomorrow.
"This includes:
- Smaller barriers at the site perimeters
- Flagmen utilized to co-ordinate pedestrian traffic
- Specific signage created & hung to highlight each business located on the lane & that they are ‘’open as usual’’
- Working with businesses to ensure deliveries can be made via Duke Lane Lower as usual.
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