The 2022-23 ACT Budget will improve road safety and promote active travel by upgrading five significant intersections, delivering more pedestrian crossings and advancing construction of the second stage of the Belconnen Bikeway, the Territory’s Chief Minister said today.
“Our investment in infrastructure is focused on maintaining Canberra’s place as the most liveable in the world – attractive, safe and easy to move around in,” said Chief Minister, Andrew Barr.
The five intersections are on Canberra’s southside, located at: Streeton Drive/Namatjira Drive, Streeton Drive/Heysen Street, Tharwa Drive/Lawrence Wackett Crescent, Tharwa Drive/Norman Lindsay Street and Hume Circle which connects Canberra Avenue, Sturt Avenue and Wentworth Avenue.
More than 20,000 vehicles use the road network each day between Weston Creek, Tuggeranong and Woden, with the two Streeton Drive ‘seagull’ intersections becoming increasingly busy with nearby development. The works will include installation of traffic lights to improve safe crossings options for pedestrians and vehicles and improvements to the surrounding path network.
“Projects like these not only support our growing population, but they help create and protect good local jobs,” the Chief Minister said.
On Tharwa Drive, the works will include installation of traffic lights at the intersection with Lawrence Wackett Crescent, and safety improvements will be funded at the Norman Lindsay Street intersection near Lanyon Marketplace following a feasibility study.
The Government says it will also progress preliminary design work for safety improvements at Hume Circle, which has one of the worst accident records for intersections in Canberra. All of these works will be supported by joint funding from the Australian Government.
“These improvements to intersections will support the delivery of election commitments in Weston Creek and Lanyon, and further priority projects will improve safety on our roads in Theodore and the Inner South,” said Minister for Transport and City Services, Chris Steel.
“The ACT Government welcomes continued investment in our city by the Australian Government to co-fund these urban road projects, but we strongly believe the ACT should receive the same share of funding for improvements for regional roads as other states.”
