The ACT Government has signed a contract with Abergeldie Contractors for the raising of London Circuit, securing hundreds of jobs and kick-starting major upgrades to Canberra’s city centre.
“Raising London Circuit will support many of our key projects in the city, including the extension of light rail to Woden, the renewal of the Canberra Theatre precinct and will enable better connections to the Acton Waterfront,” said Minister for Transport Chris Steel.
“This significant project will make sure Canberra grows as a sustainable, vibrant and connected city, with better access between the city and the lake.
“The transformation of London Circuit and Commonwealth Avenue will create a better environment for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. We are not only building the platform for light rail to turn from London Circuit onto Commonwealth Avenue, but removing barriers for cyclists and pedestrians moving through the southern part of the city.
“Raising London Circuit highlights the important shift we are making in Canberra – away from infrastructure that only prioritises cars and towards projects which support a range of different ways to move around,” said Minister Steel.
“We are looking forward to partnering with the ACT Government and bringing our experience in civil construction to this significant and complex road project, that will make a big difference to the city centre,” said Mark Bruzzone, Chief Executive Officer at Abergeldie Contractors.
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 with dedicated cycle paths.
With the contract signed and early utility relocation works nearly complete, main construction on raising London Circuit will start later this year. This will lead to some changes to the road network, with major disruptions expected from early 2023 when demolition commences on the existing Commonwealth Avenue bridges across London Circuit.
To help keep traffic moving while these works are underway, the ACT Government is installing traffic lights at the Coranderrk Street roundabout on Parkes Way. Construction will start soon, and is expected to be completed before the most disruptive period of works in 2023.
We are also installing temporary traffic lights on the northern side of Vernon Circle to allow safe right-turn movements onto Constitution Avenue and London Circuit for public transport. To support pedestrian movements during and after construction new pedestrian signals and a path around City Hill will be built, linking Edinburgh Avenue and Constitution Avenue.
Two of the existing cloverleaf ramps will be removed as part of the works, with alternative access routes via Edinburgh Avenue and Constitution Avenue channelling traffic to the City’s west and east.
Canberrans can also expect road, bus and traffic diversions, as the section of London Circuit between Edinburgh Avenue and Constitution Avenue will be closed for the duration of construction.
