The first signs of change coming for Mill Rd have appeared this week.
A temporary one-way traffic system signals a start on upgrading the stormwater system along the road, between Mosston Rd and Manuka St.
And hand in hand with the infrastructure upgrade will be sealing of the final few hundred metres of Mill Rd.
Mill Rd serves the Westbourne industrial estate which, in recent years, has seen significant development happening. The stormwater upgrade is part of plans to expand the industrial zone.
But just as important is the bypass Mill Rd provides for people getting to and from Castlecliff.
The Whanganui District Council says motorists using Mill Rd can expect speed restrictions and a one-way system controlled by traffic lights as work begins on the upgrade.
The work is expected to take about eight months with the sealing capping off the project.