A section of Newcastle’s Hunter Street has reopened to traffic this week following progress in light rail track installation there.
The stretch of completed light rail track between Worth Place and Darby Street represents approximately 40 percent of the on-road construction zone for light rail works in Newcastle.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said the opening of the stretch – which also features new widened footpaths, landscaping, and an upgraded road surface – was a significant milestone for the Newcastle light rail project.
“The curtain is being raised on a new and improved Newcastle city centre, with widened pedestrian friendly footpaths, landscaping and light rail tracks running alongside a resurfaced Hunter Street,” MacDonald said.
“I commend the Revitalising Newcastle team, HDC, Transport and Downer for keeping this $650 million project on time and on budget. Construction has progressed to the advised timeline and we are on track for services to begin early 2019.”
Revitalising Newcastle Program Director Michael Cassel praised the work of his team in bringing various stakeholders together to maintain the trajectory of the project.
“This is a project with many moving parts and stakeholders,” he said. We are working with Newcastle City Council on footpath and smart city works, utilities including Hunter Water and Ausgrid, gas and telecommunications providers, and of course our managing contractor on construction. However, everyone is focussed the same goal of quickly returning a vastly improved CBD to the community.”