OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Emergency repairs on State Route 78 remain ongoing, however, some businesses in the area are already over it, saying that the closure to the heavily trafficked highway is hurting their bottom line.

The construction to the stretch of road from College Boulevard to El Camino Real began in mid-March, after several metal culverts that ran under the highway collapsed amid the series of storms that battered the region.

With the ongoing closures, motorists were detoured at the SR-78 El Camino Real exit and directed to other side streets before making their way back onto the highway.

While the emergency repairs were necessary for long-term durability, businesses in the area said they took a hit, given delays that have prolonged the timeline for completion.

“We’re typically pretty busy here — we usually have a lot of steady traffic that comes in and out of the store,” Amy Everett said to FOX 5. Everett is the manager for a Mattress Firm in the neighborhood, located right off the SR-78 El Camino Real and Vista way ramp.

“(The closure) did cause a lot of traffic not to be able to come up this way,” she continued. “All of the side streets have been congested and we have seen a halt in business.”

Everett told FOX 5 that they lost more than half of their business after the closure began.

“Instead of making double digit paychecks, we’re making like $400 to $500 in two weeks,” she said. “I just hope they wrap it up very quickly and we get business back.”

The repairs have gone on longer than expected. The westbound lanes, which were worked on first, reopened on April 5. Crews then moved to the eastbound lanes, shutting them down for the last few weeks.

Professional Nails on El Camino Real has seen an increase in cancellations and a decrease in walk-ins since the westbound lane closure began, according to employee Krystal Cutler.

“Nobody wants to deal with traffic — it’s an absolute nightmare out there,” Cutler told FOX 5. “The biggest thing is the income, because (we’re) not (getting) as many customers — less customers means less tips.”

Businesses and motorists could soon get some relief, as Caltrans said that all lanes of SR-78 are expected to reopen in the week of May 8.

“We just have to have our fingers crossed that they’re not going to delay it again,” said Cutler.