PHOTO
Businesses in a Canterbury township are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel as intensive road works are nearing completion.
But some are unsure whether the end of construction will be enough to bring customers back to Gerald St in Lincoln.
The Selwyn District Council is on track to complete stage one of the $46 million town centre upgrade in September.
Hammer Hardware owner Manny Singh said the business was starting to see an improvement, with less fencing and fewer road cones making the area easier to navigate.
“Everyone has realised how much (work) it was,” he said.
Coffee Culture owner Steve Jager said small changes, such as footpaths reopening and easier road crossings, had made a difference.
Jager said he had noticed a small pick-up in business since Maurice St reopened, but it was too early to know whether the improvement would continue.
Lincoln Convenience Store owner Rick Sun said he had yet to see an increase in trade, but was hopeful of a strong summer once the roadworks were finished.
Lincoln Fish Supply manager Lou Hardie said the street was starting to look good, but daytime customers had yet to return.
“People are still questioning where the car parks are,” she said.
Hardie said she expects it would take time for people to change their habits after avoiding the area since work began late last year.
Work has also started on Lincoln Village, a retail and hospitality precinct being developed on the corner of Gerald and Robert Sts behind the existing shops.
Singh said he was hoping to move into his new store early next year as part of stage one of the project.
While stage one is nearing completion, start dates for stages two and three are yet to be confirmed, with the council currently completing the procurement process.
The next stages will include further road renewals, cycle lanes and traffic lights at the intersections of Springs Rd and Vernon Dr.