CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Concern is mounting for business owners near the Centerville Turnpike Bridge in Chesapeake. The bridge is closed for the next six months so crews can make repairs. 

Many of the businesses at the base of the bridge have a significant customer base who live in the subdivisions across the bridge. With the bridge under construction, what was once just a brief commute is now 15-20 minutes longer. 

The bridge has only been closed for a few days, so it’s too soon to know the longterm effects, however some places are already feeling the pressure. 

Representatives from the Majestik Auto Spa on Mount Pleasant Road say they’ve already had customers cancel memberships because the closure makes their location not as convenient. 

“Some of the people live right next to the bridge and with that being closed, they don’t want to drive all the way around, like to Battlefield, just to get all the way over here, it’s kind of a hike,” said Denson Garner, who works at Majestik. 

Across the street, Hotrodders Cafe is taking preemptive measures. The restaurant now offers a “bridge discount” to keep customers coming. 

The special discount is 10 percent off for those who live across the bridge and made the extra effort to dine at Hotroddders. And if that’s not enough, owner Amber Hooker says they should still be OK. 

“A lot of my regulars that are on this side have said that they’re going to come double just to make sure that we keep going.”

Closest to the bridge is the Centerville Animal Hospital, where the owner, Dr. Amanda Hayden, is concerned about how the closure will affect her patients.  

“It’s definitely going to impact patients that have emergencies,” Hayden said.

The detour will add at least another 15 minutes for patients on the other side of the bridge. Dr. Hayden knows firsthand how every minute matters in a medical emergency.  

“They can have serious repercussions. We had a patient a few months ago that was in respiratory distress,” explained Dr. Hayden. “Thankfully we were able to care for that patient and turn it around and it was released to the owner, and I think if they had tried to make it any further the dog would have passed away.” 

The bridge will reopen after Valentines Day 2020.