Following the arrival of 12 kilometres of light rail track in Newcastle last Thursday, preparations are underway to have the track laid by the beginning of next week.A track slab will be poured at the intersection of Hunter and Merewether streets on the weekend, followed by the installation of the first tracks in the embattled project.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance is claiming this as an important milestone for the project. He's praised the team involved with the project for their hard work trying to maintain the works schedule. He says "it's all systems go" down at the site.
Mr Constance is claiming it as a win for the Berejiklian government, saying they're determined to just "[get] on with the job".
"It'll be a project that progresses very quickly, and at the end of the day, the city is going to get a fantastic light rail project that is going to transform the community."
The work is "tracking along nicely", and although nothing can be guaranteed, Mr Constance is confident the rest of the light rail work will be delivered on time. He says this will not only benefit the wider community, but also the businesses that have seen a downturn in profit as a result of construction.
Both the Andrew Constance and Michael Cassel, program director for Revitalising Newcastle, are urging people to support the affected businesses. To show Novocastrains the CBD is still open for business, Revitalising Newcastle will be hosting a Christmas program that features rides and Christmas displays in Wheeler Place, story readings at Newcastle Museum, a treasure hunt, and Santa photos.
For more details, visit the Revitalising Newcastle calendar.
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| Photo credit: Revitalising Newcastle |
