Redwood City improvement project construction challenges area businesses

REDWOOD CITY — Construction for a neighborhood improvement project on the Peninsula is having a crippling effect on businesses along Middlefield Road in Redwood City.

“It’s pretty frustrating, because we’re losing business everyday,” said Raul Maldonado, owner of Maldonado’s Auto Body Shop.

In business since 1979, Maldonado says customers trying to reach his auto body shop these days are forced to navigate a labyrinth of concrete barriers, chain-link fences and orange plastic barricades.

“It’s kind of hard because the customers can come in. They can’t walk in the front. There’s no parking, so they just go around in circles. Sometimes they just leave,” he said.

Business owners complain that business has sputtered and stalled during the construction, which is not scheduled to be finished until next spring.

The county is narrowing the road from four lanes to three and installing sidewalks and street lamps. A spokesperson for the county said they’ve tried to communicate and work with business owners to minimize the impact of construction. 

They have installed signs informing the public that the businesses remain open despite the obstacle course of equipment and construction barricades outside their doors.

“We appreciate that there are impacts. We know that while people are excited about the Middlefield Road project and the end result in the short run there are some impacts,” said Deputy County Executive Justin Mates.

Raul says his business is hanging on barely but he fears for his neighbors.

“We don’t have high overhead like everyone else does. But if we had high overhead on the rent, I don’t think we’d be here right now,” he said.