Part of Olive Chapel Road in Apex flooded on August 6, 2025, after more than 9 inches of rain fell. The large amount of water resulted in a sinkhole where Beaver Creek goes under the road. The road has been closed for repair ever since, with a fix not expected until the end of January 2026.
The closure to the road has done much more than just reroute traffic for months.
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Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert took to social media on Wednesday to remind the community that businesses along the Olive Chapel corridor are hurting.
Gilbert said, “Since the Olive Chapel Rd closure one particular business in this area has reported 56% decline in revenue.”
He also said he was contacted by the owner of Apex Market, who told him that there has been a 30% drop in the store’s revenue.
The mayor said that construction is ongoing in the area, but he anticipates the road will not reopen until the end of January or beginning of February.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation said that the damage to the road was beyond repair and that a temporary fix wasn’t possible. A failed culvert had to be replaced and a waterline that carries Beaver Creek underneath Olive Chapel Road had to be relocated.
Until the road can be reopened, Gilbert is urging the community to support the businesses in this area.
