WAILUKU, Maui — A project meant to upgrade aging Wailuku water mains will affect traffic to local businesses in the meantime.

The $1.43 million water main replacement project on Vineyard Street, funded with stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, shut down one business temporarily and is slowing down customer traffic for others, the merchants said.

The Maui Bake Shop & Deli along Vineyard Street was closed for a time last week. A sign taped to one of its glass front doors on Thursday said "Closed due to road construction." Crews last week were working on the road directly in front of the bakery. The owner could not be reached for comment.

At Saeng's Thai Cuisine nearby , the owner expressed concern about the noise as construction equipment rumbled by his restaurant last week.

"It will be slow," owner Bounpheng Southamma-vong predicted. The portion of Vineyard Street in front of his restaurant is scheduled to be closed this week.

He said many of his customers park at the municipal lot nearby and walk to his restaurant anyway, so at least they don't depend on on-street parking.

Sue's Barbershop owner Sue Suehiro said she understands that the water main needs to be replaced.

When the portion of road fronting her shop was closed twice, her business was slow, but she's not sure if the construction slowed business or if it was just that her customers didn't need haircuts at the time.

In a notice being published in the Maui News about Vineyard Street closures, the replacement of the water main is described as necessary because the current one is reaching the end of its useful life of 50 years.

Because of the type of machinery required to do the work, the notice said, the county Public Works Division allowed contractor Diversified Machinery to close the road when work is under way. But buses, emergency vehicles, postal service and local traffic will be allowed.

Diversified Machinery project manager Aaron Ringstad said crews will also accommodate business owners who need to get through the construction area to their offices, as well as customers, if the area is safe and equipment is not in the way. But no through traffic will be allowed.

This week, Diversified is expected to close Vineyard Street from the intersection of North High and Church streets from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. until Nov. 12.

Ringstad said the closures are only Mondays through Fridays and motorists will be able to use the road during nonconstruction hours.

He said he scheduled the road closures after the morning rush and before the afternoon rush. Other portions of Vineyard Street have already been periodically closed off. Crews have been working on the water main since September, Ringstad said.

The project calls for the installation of a 12-inch main down Vineyard Street from Market to Main streets, said county spokeswoman Mahina Martin.

Along the way, new fire hydrants will be installed, along with new lateral pipes and interconnections to side streets.

In some places the entire road will be resurfaced as part of the project, she said.

Although much of the work is scheduled to be completed Nov. 12, Martin said the water main will not be operational then and some of the repaving still will need to be finished.

She said surrounding businesses and residences will have water during the work, although there will be a temporary interruption in water service when the transfer is completed. She said she hadn't heard of anyone complaining about the work.

Area resident Emery Racadio, whose apartment will be in the road closure area this week, said he wasn't too concerned about the work, other than the noise.

But he said Thursday that he wasn't made aware of the closures until he spoke with workers recently.

Martin said a community meeting was held in July about the project and that notices have been published in the newspaper and notices were given out Friday to affected businesses and residents. (The notices were given out after Racadio spoke to the Maui News.)

But Racadio was also concerned about his business neighbors, as he said he patronizes some of them frequently.

"The economy's all screw-ed up already. By doing this makes it worse for them," he said.