A Heap of Light Rail Construction Barriers Will (Apparently) Be Gone In the Next Month
With the orange eyesores being removed between Circular Quay and Town Hall, and in Surry Hills.
If you're sick of seeing those bright orange barriers around the CBD's light rail construction sites, your eyeballs could soon be in for some relief, with news most barriers will be removed or reduced before Christmas.
ALTRAC Light Rail, the consortium overseeing the project, has announced the bulk of major construction work is nearing completion, with many of the eyesore barriers soon set to disappear from the stretch between Circular Quay and Town Hall, as well as in Surry Hills.
"We are excited to be able to show the public what the end-state will look like along this part of the alignment, with barriers starting to be reduced on George Street near Circular Quay and more barriers to be reduced this weekend near Martin Place," ALTRAC Light Rail CEO Glenn Bentley said in a statement.
The removal of the barriers will hopefully help improve the visibility of and access to some of the city's local businesses. Although, for some, it'll be too little, too late, with an inquiry into the impact of the construction of the light rail, launched by the state in May, having received 193 submissions from locals businesses and residents. Some of the businesses saying they've been impacted by the construction — or have been forced to close — include The Book Kitchen, Bishop Sessa and Cafe Jacks.
Some barriers will be sticking around, too, including ones around light rail stops and localised sites staying for safety purposes and to manage traffic flow. It's also expected that barriers in Randwick, Kensington and Kingsford will be firmly in place until February 2019.
Bentley said Sydneysiders can expect the next phase of the project to be "less intrusive", with temporary localised barriers in place for short periods of time during installation of underground cables and overhead wiring.
The initial plan was to have the Sydney Light Rail up and running by 2019, though, thanks to a slew of delays, it's currently slated for completion in May 2020.
Image: Sydney Light Rail
