Road work isn’t keeping visitors away from Avila Beach this Labor Day, but it’s taking some of them a little longer to get there.
Many people spent the holiday weekend in Avila Beach, including Justin Bush from Simi Valley.
“It's a little crowded for Labor Day weekend,” Bush said. “Normally on a normal day, it’s less touristy.”
Managers at local businesses near the water said the weekend rush is a drastic change compared to the last few weeks.
Xenia Krahn is a manager for the Avila Market. She said this is one of the biggest weekends of the year for the beachfront store.
“We've had way more sales, way more people coming in, getting food,” Krahn said. “Bunch of people coming for all, you know, all the, like, high school kids that are off for the weekend.”
WATCH: Groundbreaking held for Avila Beach Drive roundabout project
To get to Avila Beach, you now have to take the San Luis Bay Drive exit off Highway 101. While flaggers are in place to help traffic move through the intersection, some drivers say it’s not always a quick wait.
Ryleigh Serpa is a manager for Avila Beach Bike Rentals and has to take San Luis Bay Drive to get to work every day.
“It's like a half-hour wait," Serpa said. "Yesterday, it was about a mile long of cars.”
“I've got to leave about 10 minutes earlier now," Krahn said. " I've got to wait with the flaggers and hope that they're being nice today and letting us through quickly.”
WATCH: Avila Beach Drive roundabout project enters new phase of construction
Even with the traffic, locals and employees at these businesses said the roundabout will be worth it.
Kristy Kemp of Avila Beach believes the roundabout will be great for locals.
“The traffic guys are directing everybody really well, keeping things moving,” Kemp said. “I'm really happy and it’s gonna be beautiful.”
“The roundabout construction has certainly made it a little harder to navigate the streets,” Serpa said. “But I can see that the future of it will bring some better change and hopefully, alleviate the stress in the streets.”
Avila Beach Drive is expected to reopen on September 26 with work on the roundabout continuing into early next year.
