BARRIE -- The $12-million construction project along Dunlop Street in Barrie is ahead of schedule, the city says, thanks in part to a reduced amount of traffic.
Stage one of the work was scheduled to be done between March and July is nearly complete along Dunlop from Owen to Clapperton streets.
'It's great. I mean, they're doing lovely brickwork around the light standards, and it looks like they're going to be putting in some trees soon, so get some greenery down here, so it's looking good," says Wendy Small.
Crews have started on stage three of the project - Dunlop Street from Mary Street to Maple Avenue - instead of the initially planned timeline of September.
That section is anticipated to remain closed until mid-July.
Stage two of the road work will begin in August with the closures of the Five Points intersection and the Toronto Street intersection until mid-October.
The 'We Dig Downtown' project will see ageing infrastructure replaced along Dunlop Street, wider sidewalks, new streetlights, planters and trees.
The downtown project is scheduled for completion by the end of November.
Meanwhile, work on the $46-million Harvey Road/Highway 400 overpass is moving along.
It's estimated 20-thousand vehicles will use the new bridge, which is expected to open to traffic by the end of October.
