Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, has confirmed that the Capital Metro light rail project will not “require all of the road surface on Northbourne Avenue to be dug up and replaced.
Today’s media commentary on light rail and Northbourne Avenue referred to a transport options study from over a year ago. The project update released by the Government in September last year presented a revised proposal that did not require the complete digging up of Northbourne Avenue,” said Mr Rattenbury.
The revised proposal changed the design, reduced the costs and retained the existing road
and verge widths. The median alignment will minimise traffic disruption.
“Certainly the light rail project will require significant construction work, changes to intersections,
and there will be disruptions to Northbourne. The same would occur if we built Bus Rapid
Transit. Managing traffic changes will be a key element of the project – just as we are currently
doing on the Majura Parkway project.
“The reality is that we must take action on Northbourne Avenue. Travel speed during peak
congestion is about 20 km/h, the most congested in Canberra. Without action it will deteriorate.
“The URS Australia report assesses and compares the impacts of building light rail, a bus rapid
transit or doing nothing on Northbourne Avenue.
“The analysis concludes that light rail ‘generates the best overall outcome for Canberra’”, Mr
Rattenbury concluded.
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