MADISON, Wis. – “Construction season” has officially begun in Wisconsin.

All over the state, there are work zones and projects underway. Of course, there are also drivers stuck in traffic or going out of their way to take a detour.

Michelle Dietz owns Wisconsin Cutlery on University Avenue in Madison. The street has been under construction for months. Right now, crews are working on a new bus stop for the Madison Rapid Transit System. They’ve finished the frame of a bus stop in the middle of the street.

“Some days, it’s harder than other for people to get in,” Dietz said.

Dietz doesn’t mind. In 2018, her shop flooded twice.

“I cannot tell you how it feels coming into a business and seeing your store flooded, and the cleanup, and knowing that it can happen again at any time,” she said. “The real reason for this construction was fixing that egress into the lakes, and making it so that we are not as prone to flooding.”

She said if anyone avoids the area right now, that will change once the projects are finished.

 “I now have a pedestrian sidewalk that goes past my store … This is a much more walkable area now,” Dietz said. “[More public transportation] makes it easier for somebody to come to the store.”

The area being safer is a huge weight off her shoulders.

“I can sleep a little better at night knowing that my store is not as vulnerable to flooding,” she said.

Crews are set to pave that stretch of University Avenue the week of April 22.