For Rick Roderick, the downtown street-scape improvement project cannot end soon enough.

Since May, his business, Nexxt Level Nutrition on West Street, has experienced a variety of inconveniences. There were days when crews were busy ripping up asphalt — work that covered his customers' cars in dirt and dust. And there were days when the contractor, Hartford Paving, completely shut down West Street.

"There was no way to get to my business," said Mr. Roderick. "With my business, people need to be able to pull in quick on their way to work or on their way home."

Mr. Roderick said conditions near his shop have improved recently. As of Friday, granite curbs were set and the road and sidewalk areas were prepped for asphalt and concrete, respectively. Cars can pull up next to the store, and parking, while still dusty, is available.

Just two weeks ago, Mr. Roderick thought the street-scape work was going to put an end to his business. 

"I honestly thought that last Friday was going to be my last day," he said. "I thought that was it."

Mr. Roderick dipped into his savings to help Nexxt Level Nutrition weather the construction storm.

"I've had at least an 80 percent drop in business," he said. "They started working in front of my business in May. This has been all summer. It's been horrible."

Mr. Roderick said the massage therapist studio located next to his business has also been inconvenienced by the town-run project.

Mark Etheridge, the manager for Trendy's Pizzeria, is sympathetic to the challenges Mr. Roderick and others on West Street have faced. Trendy's, which is located at the corner of Maple Avenue and Cottage Street, has endured similar obstacles. 

In fact, Friday was one the worst days yet for construction-related problems. Crews from Hartford Paving were putting down asphalt in a parking space to the west of the business and pouring concrete for a sidewalk in front of the pizza shop. 

Mr. Etheridge said he had pleaded with the Hartford Paving foreman to limit work to Mondays when it was near Trendy's. Friday's business — one of the busiest days of the week — was too important to sacrifice for road improvements. 

At about 12:30 p.m., Mr. Etheridge stood atop the stairs leading to Trendy's front door, clearly frustrated with the work taking place all around the business. 

"This has killed us today," said Mr. Etheridge. "We've had no business. There's nowhere for people to pull in. What am I supposed to do?"

The foreman for Hartford Paving stood nearby and offered to order pizzas for his crew. Mr. Etheridge politely thanked the foreman for his offer, and then directed some of his frustration to Barrington Town Planner Phil Hervey, who is overseeing the project. 

"I left a detailed message for Phil. He hasn't called me back," he said. 

"The communication from the town could have been so much better. Their communication is the worst."

The pizza shop manager and lifelong Barrington resident said officials should have done a better job informing businesses and residents of the work schedule. He also said more could have been done to accommodate shop owners' requests.

"I think the town definitely took care of Vienna Bakery," said Mr. Etheridge. "They worked hand-in-hand with Joe (Balasco, the bakery owner)."

Mr. Etheridge said the paving crews were careful to complete work near Vienna Bakery on Mondays, when the bakery was closed. 

"They're working around Joe's schedule, but they're not working around my schedule," he said. 

Hartford Paving is also utilizing the parking lot at the rear of Trendy's as its staging area, said Mr. Etheridge. 

"They're constantly in and out of my area," he said. "It's an obstacle course around my building. I've had to tell them to move their trucks. 

"We've taken such a hit this summer."

During an interview on Thursday afternoon, Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha said the street-scape improvement project should be completed by the end of October. 

"They're just about done with the curbing," he said. "I think the project is going very well."

Mr. Cunha said he can understand the concerns of the local businesses. He said he and Mr. Hervey recently visited the work zone and spoke with shop owners and residents. He said most people were happy with the work.

"When this is done, the businesses will have better accessibility. This will be a shopping destination," he said. 

Mr. Cunha confirmed that some of the work that had been completed had to be revisited — some of the curbing had to be re-set because the spaces between the granite sections were too large. 

The town recently hired a paving specialist to handle quality control for the street-scape improvements. BETA Engineering is also overseeing some of the work.

"The contractor has been more than helpful," Mr. Cunha said. "When we recognize there's a need, they handle it. With a project of this magnitude there's going to be a punch list."

Mr. Cunha said Maple Avenue was in need of the road and sidewalk improvements and will be much safer when the project is finished. 

Jean Robertson agreed. The owner of Medici Gelato on Maple Avenue said that the roadwork has had an impact on business, but added that the finished product will be worth the inconveniences. 

"Some people have complained about the narrowing of the road, but people were driving much too fast on Maple Avenue," she said. 

The former planning board member said the new sidewalks and curbing will be a vast improvement over previous conditions. Ms. Robertson said that before the project, Maple Avenue's sidewalk on the north side of the street was little more than an additional three feet of cracked pavement, only separate from vehicle traffic by a painted white line.

"In the wintertime, people would have to walk in the street," she said. "This will be much safer."

Ms. Robertson acknowledged that scheduling the work around businesses' requests could have been better.

"At the height of summer, with only one lane of traffic open, it probably dampened some of our business," she said. 

Allee St. Angelo, the chef at Crepelicious on Maple Avenue, said she has not noticed much of an impact on her dessert-focused business. She said she also lives on Maple Avenue and is excited to see the street-scape improvements taking shape.

"It'll be nice when it's done," she added.

Mr. Etheridge said he can understand why some of the businesses may be less impacted by the construction. He said shop owners on the southern side of Maple Avenue, where Crepelicious and Medici Gelato are located, are not experiencing the same level of construction — the sidewalks are being built on the north side of the street. Some of the south-side-of-Maple businesses also have parking lots accessible from Anoka Avenue. 

In addition to parking concerns, Mr. Etheridge has also twice weathered flooding problems at the corner of Maple Avenue and Cottage Street. 

"The cars were spraying the water into my business," he said. "It was a mess."