There is a big change is coming to the commute on Monday morning (June 24), if you use Powell Street to get into Downtown Vancouver. Businesses in the area are bracing for a year-long closure.

Christine Morton owns Christine Lingerie at Powell and Hawks Avenue, and she fears the retail part of her business will quickly trickle down to nothing.

“It isn’t our primary business, retail, but we do have a following in Vancouver and we get quite a number of women that come in here on a regular basis to shop,” she explains.

“There are 30,000 cars that go by here every day. Some of those people are our customers and some of those people will see our signs and come by, come in, and visit and that won’t be happening for quite some time. So, that’s pretty discouraging for us.”

That closure between Hawks Avenue and Clark Drive will last until next July to allow for the $50 million Powell Street Overpass project.