Fire-hit Academy Street in Inverness has been reopened to pedestrians after the blaze which destroyed two city shops last week.
However, the street will remained closed to traffic until next week at the earliest as the clean-up operation continues.
Work to erect internal scaffolding to make the building safe is not expected to begin until next week and traffic will not be allowed onto the street until this is completed.
Fire and police investigators have so far been unable to enter the damaged building because of safety concerns about its structural integrity.
Scaffolding has been erected to try and secure the building, which is one of the oldest in Inverness,
Yesterday city centre managers Inverness Bid and Highland Council sent out the message that it is “business as normal” for the town.
Traffic is still unable to use Academy Street between Union Street and Margaret’s Street.
More bus services will be restored today to the city centre, with some routes which had been disrupted being allowed to return to Union Street.
Parking at the Rose Street multi-storey was free at the weekend, and Highland Council yesterday said they will charge 20p for the first two hours in an effort to encourage access to the city centre.
Pedestrian access was yesterday reinstated along the pavement on Academy Street on the opposite side of the road from the damaged shop.
The north pavement on Strothers Lane will also be restored by this morning.
Inverness Bid chairman, Craig Duncan said: “Inverness Bid and businesses in the city centre are very grateful for the work being undertaken by the Multi Agency Response Team and especially to Highland Council for their lead taken on the response.
“We are confident that the plans that are being put in place will give us the best possible outcome.”
A Highland Council spokeswoman said that the priority on site is to erect scaffolding both on the exterior and interior of the facade, as well as the removal of debris from the interior of the site.
Traffic will not be allowed onto the street until this work is completed.
If approaching the city centre on Millburn Road/Crown Road signs are in place to instruct car drivers that there is no way through Academy Street.
Service buses, delivery vehicles and taxis are allowed and directed to enter Union Street, Church Street and turn left down Fraser Street onto Bank Street to turn left.
All other traffic if required, will be allowed to make a U-turn to drive back towards where they came from.
If approaching the city centre on Chapel Street traffic is directed to turn right from which they can access Friars Lane, turning left into Church Street, turn left into Post Office lane and then left into and down Academy Street.