The project began back in December 2023 and originally received a deadline of summer 2025. Funded by Newcastle City Council, the investment intends to cater to the city centre's growing needs, creating an elegant re-modernisation with new lighting pillars, paving, furniture and plants. The plans hoped for a more communal and aesthetically pleasing main road in Newcastle. Yet, we've passed summer now, and completion has been pushed back to 2026!
On the odd occasion that I brave the dreaded march down that disastrous road, I get war flashbacks to Year 8 PE of doing the bleep test to measure my endurance. Not only is it an enormous eyesore, but it makes merely going into the town centre feel like a chore. When moving to a big city, I never expected to be scrambling through a cattle enclosure like a game of hopscotch just to find my way through the labyrinth that is Northumberland Street. Never mind having to simultaneously dodge the oncoming traffic of people who somehow manage to shuffle along at a glacial pace of about one mile an hour.
On the odd occasion that I brave the dreaded march down that disastrous road, I get war flashbacks to Year 8 PE of doing the bleep test to measure my endurance.
More so, the construction hours of Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm and Saturday, 8 am to 1 pm, with some agreed night time working, make it practically impossible to have an enjoyable shopping experience without the relentless screeching sounds of drilling and excavators. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to live nearby. With such treacherous working hours, you’d think we’d be able to notice any difference by now.
The reason the council provided for the prolonging of the project is due to many "unknowns below the surface" of the unsightly, mismatched tarmac patchwork. They also announced the works will not be halted during the holiday season, which will undoubtedly have a knock-on effect on the crowdedness of local festivities such as the Fenwick window, light switch on and Christmas markets.
However, I cannot deny the vision behind the idea. I understand the importance of adapting the popular shopping destination to a hub for events, entertainment, and relaxation, and that is something that will benefit Newcastle immensely in boosting the local economy, public spaces and community engagement. I just wish I could be here to witness it. In fact, I half-joke that by the time this work wraps up, I could have earned a full undergraduate degree.
Still, the patience required to tolerate this lengthy process is wearing thin. Will the promise of transformation be enough to make us forget the years of inconvenience? For now, I will continue avoiding Northumberland Street at all costs.