There is still work to be done to finish off the first stretch of the reconstructed Promenade to be opened.

The new-look Loch Promenade opened for northbound traffic last Thursday evening.

There was a huge response to the story on our iomtoday website and Facebook pages, the latter attracting more than 320 comments over the weekend - some positive but many critical of the works.

Nick Black, chief executive at the Department of Infrastructure, said there are still works required on Loch Promenade to complete this section.

He said: ’As you will appreciate we are constantly juggling construction works with the needs of the community and opening up for Christmas came before these finishing off jobs.’

This extra work includes a final surface course of tarmac from Howard Street northwards, seaside and landside, and finishing the pedestrian crossings, including the installation of the granite marker posts.

The seaside carriageway from Victoria Street to Peveril Square needs a ’plane and inlay’.

And the landside footway needs surfacing from Senna Slip to Church Road and lighting columns need installing within the Marine Gardens.

Mr Black said the temporary southbound highway needs to be broken out and the final surface course laid on seaside footways.

Final white lining and signing in the areas are still to be completed.

A large three-head lighting column is to be installed within the Sea Terminal roundabout.

And Howard Street and Granville Street still need to be reconstructed.

Criticism of the works on Loch Promenade has focused on the red concrete corridor which appears to be various shades of faded pink.

Others questioned the narrowing of the carriageway and the finish of the road surface. And the patches of patterned green, grey and white paviours are clearly not to everyone’s taste.

Completion date for the project has been pushed back towards June from a revised end date of March 31. Works to be completed at a later date include continuing the tramway to the Bottleneck, on the seaward side of the road.