Kiewa Street — between Dean and Smollett streets — has been closed since June for a $1.8 million upgrade involving angle parking and a traffic-light crossing that should significantly improve the safety of pedestrians.

A lack of rain is never good news, especially in rural areas, but it is the main reason the project has come in so far ahead of deadline.

Albury Council’s engineering services group leader, Andrew Lawson, said minor paving and landscaping work would be finished within three weeks.

However, traffic will flow from Saturday and businesses in the area will no doubt welcome the return of customers.

The council had set a November deadline, knowing works that would impede Christmas trade would be too much of an impost for businesses.

It would have been a disaster if progress had been delayed and there was a blow-out in the finishing date to December.

The reopening will allow all to assess whether the short-term pain for businesses and inconvenience for shoppers, was worthwhile.