The collapse of Interstate 10 is more than just an inconvenience for many local businesses that use the highway regularly. It is also a big expense and it could trickle down to consumers.
Lynn Holmgren is in charge of operations at a Phoenix logistics company. She said the carriers she works with have had to reroute to the I-8 and I-40, adding 4 to 5 hours to travel time and operating costs.
“It’s all an extra expense now and it’s hard to pass that on to your customers when it’s not their fault," Holmgren said. "I imagine if this doesn’t get fixed fairly soon, companies will start adding some kind of surcharge because of all the extra miles they’re putting on."
Holmgren said, for now, businesses have had to accommodate to the changes by sending trucks out earlier and moving back arrival times.