Daily Briefing: How businesses are recovering from the Washington Bridge closure

ALSO: 🌭 A 'rare and coveted' job: Oscar Mayer seeks full-time drivers of the iconic Wienermobile Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Tue Jan 9 2024 Will Richmond | Managing Editor Communities & R.I. [@Will_Richmond]( Good morning, I'm Will Richmond at The Providence Journal and this is the Daily Briefing. When the Washington Bridge's westbound lanes were closed with almost no notice it was felt by many. The commuters who watched their travel times spike, schools in East Providence had to alter their schedules, residents who watched as their streets became jammed with cars. Then there are the businesses. With the main artery from the East Bay to the Providence shutdown many decided to stay away from the area altogether. With it shops and restaurants watched as their customer bases evaporated just weeks before Christmas and the end of the year. [Frog and Toad - Asher (1 of 2) 2500x.jpg] Asher Schofield holds up a greeting card that his Providence store, Frog & Toad, produces and sells through other gift shops. Since the Washington Bridge closure, he said business is way down in the runup to Christmas. Wheeler Cowperthwaite/The Providence Journal With help now available just how many businesses are taking advantage? The Journal's Wheeler Cowperthwaite reports in the first three weeks since the Dec. 19 opening of a recovery center by the Small Business Administration, 461 applications have been filed for the 4% interest federal disaster loans, most of them [online](. In the first week, the Recovery Center opened, they were seeing eight to 10 people a day, which has slowed down to six to 10 people on average. Certainly, it's a sign of needed assistance. Just how badly were businesses hurt? Wheeler talked with a pair about their experience, but also learned there's another obstacle already causing problems. [Check out Wheeler's story and learn more about the loan program and how businesses are recovering.]( From breaking news to the impacts down the road, The Providence Journal has you covered. [Check out our latest offer and subscribe today.]( WORTH A READ 🌭 A 'rare and coveted' job: [Oscar Mayer seeks full-time drivers of the iconic Wienermobile]( ⁉️ Another New England tie in [the Jeopardy! Second Chance competition]( 🏡 In 2020, RI historian [Pat Conley gave his home to his nonprofit](. Then, they gave it back. [Today's Weather]( 🌧️ Cloudy with rain late in the afternoon. Highs in the low 40s. 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