Finishing touches put to new look Princess Street in Wolverhampton
It's a glimpse into the future of Wolverhampton city centre, as shoppers stroll down the middle of the newly pedestrianised Princess Street.
The area has been a mess of roadworks for months, after council bosses launched the second stage of the controversial £1.6million road improvements project.
But this week workmen put the finishing touches to the new block paving, enabling people to walk down the centre of the street for the first time.
The £1.6m revamp of streets in the area has come under heavy criticism and has already claimed two businesses as casualties.
Upholsterers E. Marsh set to close its Princess Street store at the end of this month after owners blamed the roadworks for a loss of trade.
Owner Keith Marsh said the work 'had not been well thought out' and could result in 'a more pedestrianised town with no pedestrians'.
"The area has now opened but there's very few people using it," he said.
"On Saturday we had five lads playing football on there. Is that going to benefit the shops?
"The council's intention seems to be to keep cars out of the city centre, but they could easily end up with no one in this part of the city centre at all.
"All things considered it's been poorly planned from the start."
Other businesses have also endured misery during the work.
Beat Foundry rehearsal studios in Princess Alley is looking for new premises after bosses became frustrated over the lack of access available to customers.
And historic jewellers TA Henn laid off two staff due to plummeting profits resulting from the roads being overhauled.
Dozens of other stores have suffered from roadworks happening just yards from their doors, with the constant din of pneumatic drills also blamed for driving customers away in their droves.
Council bosses say the scheme will make the city's main shopping areas more pedestrian friendly, while also reducing the number of cars driving around the centre.
As part of the work Garrick Street and Market Street are also been torn up and re-paved.
Traffic signals will be upgraded at the junction of Market Street and Bilston Street and the junction of Garrick Street and Snow Hill. Four new bus shelters will be installed on Bilston Street as part of the work.
The direction of one way traffic has been temporarily reversed along the pedestrianised section of Queen Street, King Street and part of Dudley Street.
The work is set to be completed by September.
