Cockermouth's Main Street roadworks 'to be completed early'
Roadworks that have been blamed for causing a 50% drop in trade for shops in a Cumbrian town are now expected to be completed ahead of schedule.
Cockermouth's Main Street is set to reopen to traffic at the end of June.
Cumbria County Council says contractors have said work to install drainage beneath the road's surface will finish earlier than the expected August date.
But work on pavements is expected to continue throughout July.
The £1.7m project began in early March.
The roadworks have seen Main Street closed to vehicles between Sullart Street and Station Street, although pedestrian access has been maintained.
Larger diameter drains are being installed to make the town more resilient to flooding.
Hundreds of properties were badly hit by floods in 2009.