Construction along Main Street in Manasquan is cutting into critical late-summer business, with merchants saying road closures, detours and fewer parking spaces are keeping customers away. The Jersey Shore borough is replacing aging water and sewer lines beneath Main Street ahead of a major inter section reconstruction project by Monmouth County that is set to begin in November, 2026. The current project is expected to be finished by the end of September. But for some merchants, its timing during the summer tourism season is taking a toll. Kathy Weston, owner of Weston Gallery, said her business remains open even though construction has closed her section of Main Street to traffic. She said her late-summer sales are down about 30%. “It has a huge impact,” Weston said. “We don’t have those droves of people who just like to walk the streets coming in.” Weston said August business is particularly important for getting her gallery through the slower fall months. “We count on August to get through September and October into November until we’re busy again in December,” Weston explained. Visitors are also frustrated navigating the closures. “I was trying to figure out how do I get through this mess to continue on our bike route because the streets are closed,” said Michele DeDea, of Brielle, NJ. “I just can’t figure out for the life of me why they started this project in the middle of the summer.” Cathy Wolfe, owner of B.C. Woof, said the construction has affected foot traffic and parking. “You know, people can’t find parking places,” Wolfe said. In a statement, Manasquan’s mayor said he understands why people are frustrated but said postponing the work could have delayed the county project, potentially pushing construction and traffic disruptions deep into next year and possibly 2028. Wolfe said she recognizes that the work needs to be done but wishes it had been handled differently. “I’d like to have seen them do it at night,” Wolfe said. “I know they have to do this but they didn’t have to do it in the middle of summer.” For merchants relying on the final weeks of the summer season, the work means short-term pain as they wait for the project to wrap up by the end of September. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less