Ottawa continues to face heavy traffic along Highway 417 as construction crews work on replacing the Preston Street bridge.

Work began last Thursday night, leading to major detours around the construction site. This Saturday, many drivers tried to avoid the area altogether, and the Little Italy business community began to notice.

Coco De Leo, owner of Dream Land Café, said, "The situation has gotten a bit slower this week. I think everyone is aware of what's happening."

She says that when customers arrive at the café, they only talk about the traffic.

"People feel stressed about it, but we are really trying to ease everyone's tension. She adds, "We offer extra wait times for reservations."

In the meantime, it has been mostly smooth for membership-based businesses like Yogatown, although its unique situation, located right next to the bridge, has made it hard for members to access the building.

Yoga instructor Maddy Lechinski said, "The lack of parking, even though the city set up a temporary parking lot, I feel has been the biggest impact."

The construction noise has also caused some headaches for a company looking to enhance a Zen environment, although Lechinski sees it as an additional challenge.

She said, "Trying to focus on meditation amidst all that’s happening around you is the essence of yoga in the first place."

Some businesses blame the cabin season for the slowdown.

Gabriel Fayyad, owner of Gabriel's Auto Sales, said, "I've noticed there's much less foot traffic, but it's really slow at this time of year." "Everyone is on vacation, but we still have our regular customers."

Joe Calabro, owner of Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana, said, "People are out at the cabin, and schools are closed too - everything will return to normal in September."