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Overview
Raising London Circuit is a major city-shaping project, connecting the city with the lake by delivering more accessible footpaths and dedicated bike lanes. It will make Canberra a more connected, sustainable and vibrant place to live and provides an important foundation for extending light rail to Woden.
Main works on the project are progressing following the closure of the southern part of London Circuit between Edinburgh Avenue and Constitution Avenue and the two cloverleaf exits west of Commonwealth Avenue. Traffic lights have been added on Vernon Circle and at the Coranderrk Street roundabout to help with traffic flow during construction. A new footpath has been built on City Hill to maintain active travel connections between the east and west sides of the city.
A temporary road, or side track, is now in operation to divert Commonwealth Avenue traffic between Parkes Way and Vernon Cirlce. This temporary road allows for two lanes of traffic to be kept in each direction on Commonwealth Avenue during peak hours while major works progress on London Circuit.
(click map to enlarge)
Stages of construction to raise London Circuit
Work is completed in stages to minimise the impact on traffic on Commonwealth Avenue bridge between Parkes Way and Vernon Circle. Side tracks, or temporary roads, are diverting traffic and allow the demolition of the existing bridges across London Circuit. They help maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction on Commonwealth Avenue while the overpasses over London Circuit are demolished.
Construction stages in detail
Completing the project
Around 60,000 cubic metres of fill will be used to raise London Circuit by six metres to form an at-grade intersection with Commonwealth Avenue. The two western cloverleaf ramps are being removed , with access routes via Edinburgh Avenue and Constitution Avenue channelling traffic to the City’s west and east. Once completed, the works will change the current split-level, overpass-underpass configuration into a more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly intersection with London Circuit level with Commonwealth Avenue.
What is fill?
Fill is material primarily consisting of soil that is used to raise London Circuit.
The fill is collected from other construction sites undertaking excavation. All fill material is approved by ACT EPA prior to importation to site. It is rigorously tested for contaminated materials and to ensure it meets the engineering requirements.
Truck movements and safety
Fill is brought in stages by trucks via the site entrances. Entrances are located at the intersection of Edinburgh Avenue and London Circuit and the intersection of Constitution Avenue and London Circuit. Trucks carrying fill arrive at the site Monday to Friday, between 7 am and 5 pm and Saturday between 7 am and 1 pm.
Trucks will be circulating on roads in and around the city for the duration of the project. Please be mindful of additional trucks; they have larger blind spots than other vehicles. With up to 80 trucks per day entering the London Circuit work site, safety must be a priority for everyone. Motorists should never overtake a turning truck and keep out of truck blind spots.
Pedestrian crossing configurations across London Circuit have been modified near the construction site entrances at Constitution Avenue and Edinburgh Avenue. The new design ensures no pedestrian can walk across the entrances, reducing accident risks.
It’s important to remember that trucks cannot stop quickly. Pedestrians should always look before crossing the road and use designated pedestrian crossings.
Disruption
Raising London Circuit, along with others across the city in the coming years, will impact traffic flows, public transport routes and travel times as well as active travel connections both in and out of the city. These impacts include traffic, bus and pedestrian diversions and temporary road and lane closures.
The ACT Government has planned early for disruption through a multi-agency Disruption Taskforce, which works closely with the local community, business and government representatives to develop and implement effective mitigations.
Parking capacity in some car parks across the city has been reduced to allow the establishment of site compounds (see map below). Details on parking changes and travel impacts can be found at BuiltforCBR.act.gov.au/travel-impacts.
Other projects
The National Capital Authority is delivering the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Renewal project. The NCA’s vision is to renew the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge to cater to Canberra’s long-term transport needs adequately while maintaining the Bridge’s considerable cultural and heritage value.
