PONTOTOC COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) - Transportation officials allowed traffic onto the four lane stretch of Highway 9 Monday, which connects to an entrance at the Toyota assembly plant in Blue Springs.
While traffic is flowing smoothly on the new four lane, the now old Highway 9 seems almost deserted.
The once heavy traffic that up until Monday passed by businesses like Endville General Store has been greatly reduced.
But the store's owner doesn't seem too worried.
Jason Steele of Endville General Store said, "Things are still good. We've got a good core business. Our local people are really good to us."
One customer says she always comes here when visiting her son at Endville.
Jannie Dobbs of Grenada said, "Whenever I'm up here, I always buy gas here."
She says the location of the store in relation to the new highway won't change where she stops.
The store is less than one half mile to the new four lane road.
The owner calls it bittersweet.
Steele said, "It was such a problem to get in and out of our place here. We lost some faces we saw everyday that had been loyal to us because of so much construction. It was aggravating to get in and out."
Along the new Highway 9, there's construction barrels in place and work still going on. Officials say slow down and use extreme caution.
Intersections are clearly marked so that drivers will not forget the new four lane is now open for business.
And it's a road that people here say will hopefully lead to more business.
Steele said, "Anytime you improve logistics, you improve the whole area. I think that's what will happen to us and we'll be fine."
