The long-awaited Molonglo River Bridge is one step closer to construction, the ACT Government announced today; they have released an expression of interest for the tender to design and construct the 227.5 metre structure over Coppins Crossing, as part of the 1.7km John Gorton Drive extension. The tender itself will be released early next year.
“This is not just a bridge building project,” said Chris Steel, Minister for Transport and City Services.
The project will better connect the northern suburbs of Molonglo, including Denman Prospect and Whitlam, to the rest of the Molonglo Valley, and provide a reliable connection for Canberrans who travel through Coppins Crossing to Woden and West Belconnen.
New arterial roadways to the bridge and new intersections will provide access to the future Molonglo Commercial Centre and Whitlam.
The bridge will provide a dual carriageway for road vehicles, on-road cycle lanes, and an off-road shared path. The bridge will be sturdy enough to bear the weight of light rail, and six new bus stops will be established.
A Notice of Decision for the development application was actioned in February. “These approvals will ensure we are able to commence construction works without delay after the detailed design is complete,” Mr Steel said.
The detailed design phase will begin mid-next year, and take one year to complete. Construction will begin in 2023, and open in 2025, a year later than first announced. The 2019 Infrastructure Plan announced that work would begin on the bridge in the 2020-21 financial year, and be completed in 2024.
Answering public concerns the bridge had been delayed, Mr Steel said in June that the timelines were indicative, and reassured the community that the project had not faced any delays.
The $176.2 million project is jointly funded ACT and Commonwealth Government, each contributing $87.5 million to the bridge.
Senator for the ACT Zed Seselja said the project would provide a major economic stimulus to the Canberra region, creating an estimated 560 jobs during design and construction.
“Projects like the Molonglo River Bridge not only keep Canberrans employed and businesses running, but also provide the Canberra community with better infrastructure connections and safer roads long into the future,” Senator Seselja said.
The Commonwealth had spent $1.8 billion on new ACT infrastructure projects since 2018, he continued.
For more details, visit www.cityservices.act.gov.au.
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