The road closures are for underground works in preparation for light rail stage 2A. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Sections of Northbourne Avenue will be periodically closed in late July and early August as underground utilities are prepared for light rail stage 2A construction.
Stormwater connections and drainage improvements will also be made during this time.
“This is a significant step forward as we begin connecting the newly laid services from London Circuit East, under Northbourne Avenue through to London Circuit West,” an ACT Government statement read.
“Once utilities and stormwater are in place, civil and services works on the track and light rail stops will start later this year.”
A series of construction blitzes will occur on the last weekend of July and first weekend of August, with crews closing the road at 8 pm on Fridays and working around the clock to reopen the road to traffic at 6 am on Monday.
Weekends were chosen for the works to minimise construction impact on commuters.
Bus services and the City bus interchange are not expected to be affected.
The first closure will be from 8 pm Friday, 25 July, until 6 am Monday, 28 July. This will see Northbourne Ave closed southbound between the Cooyong St intersection and Vernon Circle.
During the southbound closures, motorists and on-road cyclists can detour via Wakefield and Limestone Avenues to Parkes Way and Kings Ave, Cooyong and Coranderrk Streets to Commonwealth Ave, and Barry Drive and Clunies Ross St to Parkes Way.
Southbound closure map. Photo: ACT Government.
The northbound lane will then be closed between the Rudd St intersection and Vernon Circle from 8 pm Friday, 1 August, to 6 am Monday, 4 August.
During the northbound closures, alternative detour routes are via Commonwealth Ave via Edinburgh Ave to Barry Drive, Commonwealth Ave to Constitution Ave, and Kings Ave via Parkes Way to Cooyong St.
Northbound closure map. Photo: ACT Government.
The works will occur at the intersection of London Circuit and Northbourne Ave and at the intersection of Alinga St and Northbourne Ave.
Other intermittent weekend closures will be needed from September until mid-2026.
It’s expected one carriageway of Northbourne Ave will remain open at all times during these construction activities to reduce the impact to the traffic network.
The community will be notified in advance about further closures and traffic changes as the works progress.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate the community’s patience while these vital works take place,” the ACT Government statement read.
GPS navigation applications will be updated to reflect the changed network and detours.
More information about traffic impacts can be found at the Built for CBR website.
