A Waterford Councillor says 2021 is a write-off for Main Street in Tramore.
It's currently a construction site with work continuing on the urban regeneration scheme
The town was allocated 1.35 million euro for the project at the end of 2018 and it will see new communal areas created and the partial pedestrianisation of the main street.
The work began last year and it will be the end of August at least before the work is complete.
Works to date have been mainly below ground and have concentrated on upgrading and future-proofing essential services, including a comprehensive upgrade of the water mains and waste water systems. The current phase of ground works is expected to be complete by mid-April and will allow the paving contract to begin.
It's an extra headache for businesses already struggling with the effects of Covid-19.
Fine Gael's Lola O'Sullivan is from Tramore.
"2021 is a write-off for the businesses on Main Street and people living there.
"When we started this journey it was much shorter because nobody predicted Covid."
She says she raised it at a council meeting last month because the construction work had stopped in Level 5 again.
"In fairness to Fergus Galvin, Director of Services, he got on to the contractor and they are back on site working."
Councillor O'Sullivan says people are frustrated.
"It's even difficult to go walk around and go into shops, you're walking down the road thinking which way do I go here?"
"Everybody is suffering on the street, for people with a disability it's a no-go area."
However, she added that she hopes that next year they will be looking at a different situation and that "everybody will see the benefits of what the council has done."
Local auctioneer Michael Griffin hopes that people will bear with it.
"You can see the progress now, you can see the long-term vision of Waterford Council, I think it will be positive in the long-term.
"I know a lot of businesses are suffering but the end is in sight, when it's complete, when it's finished it will lift the town."
Nicola Crowley is from Mezze Deli on Main Street, she says it's been a construction site outside their door for some time.
"It's been a challenge the past while but we remain optimistic and can see what the end result will be of it.
"I know there has been stops and starts because of Covid-19 but, we see a bit of progress now."
