A 40 mile diversion came into effect in Crediton Town centre this week as major emergency road works got underway.
Some shops have said that the High Street is noticeably quieter since the works began.
Crediton's mayor has been meeting with retailers and businesses in the town to discuss the issue. The emergency repairs, which are due to last four weeks, means there is no access to the High Street.
Councillor Frank Letch, the Mayor of Crediton, says people need to park and then walk into town to access the shops:
"It's not possibly for everybody, of course, you have to be relative fit if you want to go into town and carry back shopping. However, local people are resilient and use to the hard ships of life."
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