Seemingly never-ending road works on Happy Valley Road have left a grocer demanding that Works & Engineering ?get a move on? because his business has been cut in half since June of last year.

Happy Valley Minimart owner Joe DaCosta said he has contacted the Ministry, and left messages for Minister Ashfield DeVent, in trying to get an answer to when both lanes of Happy Valley Road will be re-opened but ?never heard back from him?.

Last week Works and Engineering spokeswoman Nea Talbot said the road works on Happy Valley Road should be near completion, although she could not give a time-line for when the road would re-open to normal traffic.

The road was reduced to single lane traffic from June, 2004, in order for damage related to Hurricane Fabian to be repaired.

But work only really started on the road in January, 2005, Mr. DaCosta said.

Since then, the entrance on Montpelier Road has been completely closed, effectively cutting his stream of customers in half.

?It has affected business,? he said. ?I have to pay bills to pay. My vendors only take so much and understand for so long. Business needs to go on.?

He said all of his customers have been complaining and asking him what is being done.

?My customers need to go all the way around to get here,? he said. ?Why is it taking so long.

?The other day there was no one working on the road. What is going on??

Mr. DaCosta said Works and Engineering have told him the road will be closed for only a couple of more months.

?It used to be weeks and now it?s months,? he said.

He said he knew weather had been a factor, but he wants to see the work completed as soon as possible.

He also contacted Finance Minister Paula Cox about the problems the road works are causing to his business ? but to no avail.

Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley responded to Mr. DaCosta?s call, and also left messages for Mr. DeVent, but got nowhere, he said.