A Council press release this morning hailed the completion of all track and road works around St Andrew Square, and the area's return to public use.
This afternoon Spurtle braved wind and hail to photograph the rejoicing crowds, only to find workmen drilling new holes in the road outside Harvey Nick's and forcing cars to stop and turn back in the direction from which they had come.
Transport Convener Lesley Hinds said: 'Good progress is now clearly visible across the city centre and the removal of barriers and fences at St Andrew Square will be a welcome sight to traders, residents and visitors to the area.'
The pedestrians we saw being herded between Harris fencing looked as though this was exactly the kind of sight they would enjoy. But perhaps not today.
Access to St Andrew Square will eventually revert to the former arrangement, with traffic entering from the north by North St David Street, circulating clockwise and exiting at the south.
Further cabling work will be finished by the end of this year, after which a programme of 'rigorous testing and commissioning' will take place prior to the service starting in earnest in summer 2014.
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Meanwhile, passers-by at York Place this lunchtime could have been excused for thinking simmering tensions between Broughton and the rest of the world had escalated dangerously.
At first glance, a series of ballistic missiles appeared to be being readied on a fleet of mobile rocket launchers.
Closer inspection showed them to be the new tram poles, five of which had been installed by 2pm.
Spurtle finds them unattractive and obtrusive, even before the cables are suspended in-between. However, we shall all probably cease to notice after a decade or two.
Tell us what you think of the new tram poles or anything else tramworks-related by email: spurtle@hotmail.co.uk Twitter: @theSpurtle Facebook: Broughton Spurtle
