Tuesday, the 12th of September, sees the beginning of both construction closures on Hunter Street and a variety of community events aiming to continue to draw locals and visitors into the Newcastle CBD.
Hunter Street will be closed to traffic between Auckland and Darby Street for the next few months, while Wheeler Place today held a Lions Club community breakfast to usher in the string of community attractions.
Upcoming attractions will include live music, markets, a book club, street eat gatherings and Tai Chi and yoga sessions all throughout September.
Traffic on Hunter Street will be diverted to Honeysuckle Drive, Wharf Road and King Street during construction, though the closed sections will be available to pedestrians.
Revitalising Newcastle, who are organising the events, are hoping to curb concerns over the effect the closures might have on activity in the Newcastle CBD.
"I understand business owners might be feeling anxious about light rail construction - it's not every day that you have major infrastructure being built on your doorstep," says Program Director Michael Cassel.
"We have a dedicated team on the ground, working closely with businesses to assist them through this period of disruption."
The closures are expected to be in place for the next few months, although a definite time frame cannot yet be determined.
Following the extended closures on Watt Street after construction there was impeded by the unexpected discovery of underground substructures such as a large storm water drain, some have raised concerns over the duration of the Hunter Street closures.
Mr. Cassel says he's confident the construction will finish on time and without a hitch.
"With a little bit of luck, the great team we have in place and all the preparatory work we've done researching what's in Hunter Street, we think we can get through there in a reasonable time."
"Those risks are always there, every time you dig in the ground. We've got the next few months planned to be in that first zone in Hunter Street, and we'll just monitor that and keep everyone updated as we move forward."
The work will progress along all of Hunter Street and Scott Street over the next 12 months, with the current Auckland Street to Darby Street stretch expected to be completed by the end of 2017.
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| Construction on Hunter Street is expected to continue to go on until the end of the year. Photo credit: Newcastle Herald. |
