Concept designs for upgrades along the Monaro Highway were released today, Tuesday 19 May, with a southbound flyover at the intersection with Lanyon Drive a key feature.
Improvements to the highway were flagged in March 2019 – to improve safety and travel times – with the $200 million Monaro Highway upgrade package jointly funded by the Commonwealth and ACT governments on a 50:50 basis.
ACT Minister for Roads, Chris Steel, said the upgrades to the Monaro will be going ahead, with construction work due to start in the second quarter of 2021.
“The ACT Government’s financial contribution to the upgrade of the Monaro Highway was funded in the 2018-19 ACT Budget. The Federal Government also committed $100 million to the project,” he said.
“It was announced last year [in November] that we will be bringing forward $45 million in funding to fast track the project – $30 million from the Commonwealth and $15 million from the ACT Government. We are in the early stages of design and it is anticipated construction for the whole project will take approximately four years.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, said the flyover was part of a suite of improvements at the Lanyon Drive intersection.
“The Lanyon Drive flyover will improve traffic flow during the morning and afternoon peak periods, getting commuters home sooner and safer,” Mr McCormack said.
“The traffic lights at the Alexander Maconochie Centre intersection and at the southbound Monaro Highway intersection with Lanyon Drive will be removed and the signalised intersection at Lanyon Drive and Sheppard Street upgraded to improve access into and out of the Hume commercial centre.”
These designs are for the first stage of the Monaro Highway upgrade project that will also see improvements to the intersections with Isabella Drive, Mugga Lane, Tralee Street and Sheppard Street.
The ACT Government will be contacting local stakeholders, including businesses in Hume, over the coming weeks to start consultation on the proposed designs.
Senator for the ACT Zed Seselja said he looked forward to the construction getting underway.
“The release of the concept design is an important step toward construction and I am pleased to see we are a step closer to getting Canberrans home sooner and safer,” he said. “I have been prosecuting the case for this much needed flyover since my first term as Senator for the ACT.”
Safety improvements are also well underway further south on the Monaro, with the addition of an overtaking lane and turning lanes near Royalla, which will improve safety for those on the way to the snow fields, and is due to be completed this year.
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