Road closures remain as Las Vegas F1 Flamingo bridge takedown continues
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Jimmy Singh, manager of Las Vegas Souvenirs and Gifts, said he faced a $1 million loss since the Formula 1 construction began. He said he is now relieved to finally see the temporary vehicular bridge at Flamingo Road and Koval Lane go.
The temporary bridge installed for Formula 1 at Flamingo Road and Koval Lane is gone however, road closures and work to remove the foundation continued on Saturday.
Las Vegas Grand Prix representatives previously announced the takedown process would last from January 21 through February 1st.
Meanwhile, Singh, the manager and owner of Las Vegas Souvenirs and Gifts said he’s seen an increase in customers coming in, but still nothing like before.
He stocked shelves Friday morning, and unpacked keychains and various Vegas knick-knacks, despite fewer people buying the keepsakes.
“We’re losing a lot of our business, and we don’t get like all kind of customers,” Singh said.
Las Vegas Souvenirs and Gifts are used to customer volumes upward of 200 or 300 people daily. Lately, the number has capped at 50 customers. He shared he has faced a $1 million loss since F1 construction began. To make matters worse, he felt his complaints fell on deaf ears.
“I emailed F1 and they said, ‘That’s not our problem’. So, you’re losing business. that’s not our problem we never blocked you or anything,” he explained.
His shop is off Koval Lane. The road is open from Harmon, but Flamingo is closed. Customers, mostly tourists, had difficulty getting to the door.
Andrew Ramos is a frequent customer from El Paso, Texas who makes a stop every time he visits Las Vegas.
“Every time I come, I stop here, and I tell them, ‘Hey, bro, good job. Thank you. See you next time.’ This time I walked in, I was like, ‘Hey, bro, what’s going on out here? It’s been, like, it took 30 minutes to get here,” Ramos said.
Cars were seen making a U-turn due to the ongoing road construction.
Still, Singh is relieved to see light at the end of the tunnel.
“I’m very happy for when they open it so I can, you know, breathe myself here. The customer is coming and I’m happy for that,” he said.
He braced himself for the next 10 years of race but will cross that bridge when he gets to it.
F1 previously assured nearby businesses they would still be accessible.
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