Medians installed throughout BCS have put some businesses in a tough position.

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – The medians installed throughout Bryan and College Station have put some businesses in a tough position.

The Texas Avenue median project, spanning both Bryan and College Station, was completed late last year and businesses along the road have noticed a change.

Drivers can no longer turn left into the Sonic at Texas Avenue and University Drive as the new medians require drivers to make several turns before hitting their destination.

The Sonic Area Supervisor, Jeff Geistweidt, says that because drivers can’t turn left anymore from Texas Avenue, they now have to U-turn on Nimitz street.

Since the medians were installed, Sonic on Texas Avenue and University has had less than 100 customers a day, that’s down almost 10 percent.

“Before the medians came in, we had a steady increase in customers and sales, and since they have been here, we are down double digits in sales and a little less than 100 customers a day, less than we did before the medians were here,” said Geistweidt. “My wife works north of here on Texas, and she has co-workers that used to come once a week that no longer come because it’s too hard on their lunch break to come make the U-turn to get here, it takes too long.”

In addition to the Texas Avenue project that was completed in September of 2023, the FM 1179 raised median project along Briarcrest Drive between Villa Maria split and Kent Street installed medians on east Villa Maria Road from the Briarcrest split to South College Avenue.

Chris Kennedy, owner of Villa Maria Cleaners, says his customers told him the store is no longer easy to get to.

“They’re having to go through neighborhoods, and that’s just an inconvenience, it’s hard for it to get to,” said Kennedy.

Drivers can no longer turn left into the parking lot of Villa Maria due to the medians, they now can only access the cleaners going west on Villa Maria.

Kennedy says that inconvenience has lost them some of their most loyal customers.

“Some customers that we’ve had for years, since we’ve had the median work, we haven’t seen them back,” said Kennedy.

Both Kennedy and Geistweidt say the medians aren’t only affecting their businesses, but they’ve seen first responders struggle with the new flow of traffic.

“This stretch of Villa Maria is the main thoroughfare for first responders. When that light at Wayside and Villa Maria is red and traffic is backed up, there’s nowhere for anybody to go to get out of their way, they’re stuck,” said Kennedy.

“It’s pretty inconvenient for the customers, for our businesses and for first responders,” said Geistweidt.

Both men say they are grateful for the customers who still give them business.

”I appreciate the ones that put forth the effort because it is not easy. Even me driving into work every day and my employees, it’s not easy for us because we’ve had to change the routes that we take. So I appreciate the effort people put in and the loyalty,” said Kennedy.

“Please bare with us and come back and visit us, we appreciate it,” said Geistweidt.

Back in February, TxDOT told KBTX that the various medians installed are intended to improve safety and encourage efficient traffic flow.

The Public Information Officer for TxDOT, Bob Colwell, says the median installations on East Villa Maria Road from the Briarcrest split to South College Avenue went smoothly but they are still going to repave the road surface where the project took place. He says they expect the road surface re-pavement will happen this spring.