Wagga Road has been a mainstay for a range of successful local businesses, but the stretch was so barren that it certainly didn't exude a welcoming vibe.

A lot of those outlets would not quibble with that fact.

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Such has been nature of their retailing, customers would come regardless.

After all, no one ever imagined it was a Dean Street in the making, replete with coffee shops, restaurants and fashion stores.

That just has never been the nature of this vital commercial sector of Albury; indeed, one of its strongest performers, both in terms of businesses' financial turnover and employment.

But it has long been conceded that this did not mean there weren't gaps.

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Again, the many years of heavy transport rumbling along the corridor meant the question of the beauty (or lack thereof) of the place has never been part of the equation.

Albury Council and the business sector knew this, but it was always going to held-up by the Hume Highway continuing to run through the area.

That though hasn't been the case for what is closing-on 15 years.

It's a long time since the days when there was a never-ending procession of big rigs plying the Sydney to Melbourne route via Lavington.

Albury Council, in consultation with local businesses, hasn't rushed the revitalisation of the area, as it was always going to be far more prudent to take a measured approach that delivered upgrades that ticked as many boxes as possible.

Now that the stretch of the beautification project between Kaylock and Barlow Street has been completed, the general feedback is it is a much more attractive place to be.

But, as would be anticipated, some aspects of what has been delivered by the council have caused concern, such as highlighted access problems.

What is important from here on in is that the council not only continues to consult on what still has to be done, but also join with the community to address those completed sections that might need to be, to some degree, reworked.