An old Goon Show jokes about the government’s new ‘dig up the roads plan for congesting traffic’ scheme. The ACT Government announced today that construction works for stage 2A of the light rail (from Civic to Commonwealth Park) would bring Canberrans more than four years of traffic congestion: Commonwealth Avenue will be almost unnavigable, while peak hour traffic on other major arterial roads will increase by more than half, increasing commuting times by 15 minutes.
“This is going to be an incredibly difficult period for our city,” said Chris Steel, Minister for City Services, frankly.
But he believes it will all be worth it in the end; this will be short-term pain for long-term benefits. “Light rail to Woden will build Canberra as a sustainable, vibrant, and better-connected city.”
Light rail is a congestion-busting tool, Mr Steel said: a mass transit line to the south. Light rail stage 2 will first connect Civic to Commonwealth Park, and ultimately to Woden. In stage 2A, 1.7km of track will be laid and three new stops built between Alinga Circuit and Commonwealth Park, at a cost of $1.5 to $1.9 billion. Once complete, the ACT Government expects an extra 2,500 to 3,000 passengers a day will use it in the first year.
“This extension of light rail is going to benefit Canberrans for generations to come, but it is going to be very disruptive, and that disruption will last for a period of years.”
Light rail stage 2A would be more disruptive than Stage 1, Mr Steel warned; whereas that only involved construction in a wide median strip, Commonwealth Avenue was a major arterial road from south Canberra into the city, used by 55,000 vehicles each day.
The government will raise London Circuit to the level of Commonwealth Avenue, demolish bridges on Commonwealth Avenue and overpasses over London Circuit, and fill in 60,000 cubic metres.
Some lanes will be closed from August to early next year as utilities are relocated. The main disruption will begin in the second quarter of 2022, and will last for at least four years, until 2026.
“This is the first time that light rail will run on the road, and so it is going to affect road traffic much more than Stage 1 did.”
Construction works will reduce Commonwealth Avenue’s traffic volume by 80%, from 5,200 vehicles to 1,100 vehicles an hour.
“Try to avoid using Commonwealth Avenue and find a different way into the city,” Mr Steel urged.
That might mean going right around the city, using the Gungahlin Drive Extension or Majura Parkway to reach north Civic.
Traffic will be redistributed onto other roads, Mr Steel said. But peak hour traffic on Parkes Way will increase by 45% in the morning, and 59% in the evening; on Monaro Highway by 46% in the morning, and 38% in the evening; and on Kings Avenue by 28% in the morning, and 24% in the evening.
“In certain segments of the city, it may take an extra 15 minutes to move through each part of the road network to get into work,” Mr Steel said.
To make their commute shorter and more efficient, the ACT Government will ask Canberrans to rethink their routine as they try to navigate into the Parliamentary Triangle and the city.
For instance, if employees worked earlier or later, that would make a major difference to the road network and keep the city moving. The government is discussing this matter with major employers, including Commonwealth departments.
The government would do everything it could to minimise the extent of the disruption while light rail was being built, Mr Steel promised.
A Disruption Taskforce has been set up to improve intersections and road to keep traffic flowing; encourage the public to change their routes and travel times; and improve public transport and active travel. The government will announce these measures over the coming months.
The government will also provide information about the best routes for private vehicles into the city, public transport options, and ways to rethink routine. The public will be informed daily as construction works ramp up, Mr Steel promised.
“We thank the community in advance for their patience and ask them to bear with us as we work through this very significant infrastructure project for Canberra’s future,” said Mr Steel.
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