Businesses and residents have questioned the $4.5 million upgrade, but Tamworth Regional Council has “no doubt” that will change as people begin to see the final concept. Once completed, it will include free Wi-Fi, a water re-fill station, mature Chinese Elm trees and street furniture.

TRC’s planning director Peter Thompson said council would soon ask community groups to put their hands up to host street events in the new space.

“We’re hoping to routinely block the road off on a Friday night, so people can come down and see a jazz band for example,” he said.

“If you want a beer or some food, there’ll be footpath dining. Or you can just bring your own chair. The goal is to get that sort of night life happening in this space.”

The project is well on track to be finished before the 2018 Country Music Festival, however its water feature plans have changed – originally it was designed to allow children to run through it, but Mr Thompson said the recurrent cost for a fountain of that nature would have been than $100,000 a year.

The water feature will still go ahead, but it’ll be moved to the Peel St end of the road and may not be finished when the rest of the street opens.

“It's a job we don’t want to rush, because it will be a key feature,” Mr Thompson said.

“We’ve got an exceptionally good designer to do it – he’s currently doing one at the embassy in Bangkok. When people meet in Tamworth, they’ll say meet at the water fountain.”

Once the paving and the installation of the street lights begins, the final stages will be fast approaching

“There’ll be a mix of bluestone paving which lines the centre of the new area, and red and yellow paving will mark the outside of the street to match that in Peel Street,” Mr Thompson said.

While there was a lot of pressure on the workers to have the project finished before the next year’s Country Music Festival, Mr Thompson said the “fantastic crew” was more than up to the task.

“We have been lucky to date with weather, and if our luck continues, we anticipate all the paving to be completed well prior to the start of the 2018 Country Music Festival,” he said.

Council acknowledged several Fitzroy St businesses had been impacted by the lose of street traffic. It has offered support the form of social media and radio advertising.

“Even businesses who were opposed to it in the beginning are now saying they can see the concern and that it will work,” Mr Thompson said.

“We’re encouraging people to pop down to have a look, and support businesses while you are in the area.”

Tamworth mayor Col Murray said while hidden from the view of most residents, the project’s completed undergrounds works were “significant”.

“All of the telecommunication upgrades and improvements to electricity supply, lighting, CCTV, stormwater and water services to improve the area are now all but finished, and the above ground work can now begin,” Cr Murray said.