"We feel they've made everything possible to leave Racecourse Road right now,but you can't enter Racecourse Road,"she said.
Ms Steven said the"resilient"community would hold on,but they needed more support from council and from the community."We are open for business,"she said.
She said her dental surgery had tracked thousands of dollars in losses from the sharp decline in pedestrians following the blocking of traffic turning into Racecourse Road.
Empty shops and low foot traffic are worrying local business owners,with no pedestrians at 4pm on a Thursday afternoon.Credit:Lucy Stone
Ms Steven said she and a collection of other business owners along Racecourse Road,many of them family-owned and operated,had banded together to try to find alternative ways to promote the area,such as art trails,community events and pop-up festivals.
Some businesses had folded,while others had relocated to other shopping precincts such as James Street in Fortitude Valley.
Commercial leases advertised for shops and offices along Racecourse Road range from $41,000 a year to $116,000 a year.
"We've continued to work with the businesses along Racecourse Road and that included investment in things like lighting up the trees along Racecourse Road to let people know it is open ... that's occurred already,"Cr Schrinner said.
Cr Schrinner said the council would host a community event to promote the Brett's Wharf precinct next month.
He said that community event would feed people across the road and back into Racecourse Road.
"The most important thing is to get that upgrade around Racecourse Road finished and that is now coming to an end,"Cr Schrinner said.
"This month we will see Racecourse Road fully reopened,we will see the new urban precinct or suburban park precinct at Brett's Wharf reopen and become a great asset for the community.
"Getting out of their way is the most important thing we can do and that is happening this month."
The Racecourse Road intersection at Kingsford Smith Drive in late October.Credit:Lucy Stone
Asked if the council could offer those businesses compensation,Cr Schrinner said most construction work had happened at night to minimise disruption.
The Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade was predicted to reduce travel time along the corridor by 30 per cent,or more than two minutes.
Labor lord mayoral candidate Pat Condren said the road upgrade delays had left"local businesses in the lurch".
"Now Adrian Schrinner is pretending he’s doing them a favour by reopening Racecourse Road six months late,"Mr Condren said.
"Poorly planned,a year behind schedule,wasting tens of millions of ratepayer dollars,it is just one big vanity project."
Cr Schrinner said history would judge harshly any mayor who had not undertaken the major road upgrade.