Bus services will be reduced due to the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge renewal project. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Canberra commuters will have to contend with fewer, less frequent Rapid buses over the next two years under a new temporary timetable designed to cope with the span closures during the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge renewal project.
The ACT Government has announced the updated bus network and timetable, which will commence from the start of the school term on 2 February and be available to download in early January. An updated network map is available now.
The Bridge project will require a span at a time to close for a year each, with the northbound span slated for closure from 7 January 2026, but the full impact on traffic is not expected until the return to school.
The government says the span closure will not just affect traffic in and out of the city but will have flow-on effects across the network.
This will mean reductions to service frequency and route changes for Rapid and local buses on weekdays and weekends, but as much capacity as possible will be retained on highly patronised corridors by using larger and articulated buses.
There will be no R2 services within Belconnen and reduced frequency to 15 minutes between the Belconnen Interchange and Fyshwick. A new local service, route 12 for Belconnen, will replace Rapid 2 services between Fraser and Belconnen Interchange.
R3 will have no services within Belconnen, but will maintain the Belconnen Interchange to Canberra Airport run. A new local service, Route 13 for Belconnen, will replace R3 services between Spence and Belconnen Interchange.
R4 will have a reduced frequency to 15 minutes. R5 will extend services into Belconnen to link Lanyon to Belconnen and help replace the reduced Rapid 4 frequency.
R6 services will extend into Belconnen, linking Woden to Belconnen, to help replace reduced R2 frequency and include a return to service bus stops on Ainsworth Street, Phillip.
All Rapid buses will continue to operate at a 15-minute frequency.
Current school services will remain the same, with temporary adjustments, including timing, for 51 schools. But there will also be four new school services (1016, 1026, 2012, 2077) and two new local services in Belconnen (Route 12 and Route 13).
The bridge will operate with a dedicated bus and emergency services priority lane.
The government says the updated bus network has been designed to preserve service reliability during construction by ensuring the timetable realistically reflects the changed traffic conditions.
Transport Minister Chris Steel says the timetable will be revised once impacts are known. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
Transport Canberra executive group manager Jeremy Smith said services would be monitored, reviewed and refined to align with demand, impact and operational conditions.
The government says the new bus network is based on traffic modelling, which predicts that the southbound morning peak travel across Commonwealth Avenue Bridge will be most affected by the construction works.
Travel times are expected to increase by about 13 minutes southbound on Commonwealth Avenue, but to fall to about 7 minutes by the afternoon peak.
The flow-on impacts on major roads and the broader traffic network, including Kings Avenue, are expected to be significant, and the community is urged to plan ahead before travelling, whether by bus or by private vehicle.
If possible, commuters are urged to travel outside peak times, allow extra time for the trip or find other ways to travel. It is also recommending passengers use third-party apps to monitor real-time traffic conditions before travelling.
The government will revise the bus network for the second half of 2026, based on the actual traffic conditions.
Transport Minister Chris Steel said the bridge works would be incredibly disruptive for Canberrans, but the government and Transport Canberra had worked hard to ensure a reliable bus network during the construction period, with capacity to move as many Canberrans as possible.
“I am committed to revising the bus timetable once the community has had some time to adjust to the new traffic environment and we understand what the actual impacts are on travel times,” he said.
The Public Transport Association of Canberra has acknowledged the need for the temporary timetable but warned against cuts becoming permanent.
“It is vital that the government sticks to its commitment to revise the network based on actual travel time data. If there is capacity to improve frequencies sooner, they must do so,” PTCBR chair Amy Jelacic said.
“This is a two-year construction project, and we will be watching closely to ensure that temporary cuts do not become the new normal.”
Dr Jelacic welcomed the move to service the R4 route with high-capacity buses, such as articulated and Steer-tag vehicles, to maintain passenger capacity.
“Running higher capacity buses on our busiest routes just makes sense, regardless of the bridge works. We want to see high-capacity vehicles remain a permanent fixture on Canberra’s rapid bus routes once the disruption has ended,” she said.
Dr Jelacic said the disruption only reinforced the need to deliver light rail to Woden as soon as possible.
“Commonwealth Avenue is a key arterial route and major potential point of failure in our road network – if something goes wrong there, it profoundly impacts the rest of the city,” she said.
“Having a mode of transport travelling on its own tracks on that route will relieve that pressure and deliver a reliable mode of transport to the southside, regardless of what’s happening on the road.”
The Fare Free Friday trial will end as planned on Friday, 12 December 2025, with the scheme to be evaluated, including assessing potential concession benefits for students.
From Saturday, 13 December, travel on all buses and light rail will be free every Friday and Saturday evening from 6 pm onwards to support the night-time economy in the City and Town Centres. This trial will continue through the summer until Saturday, 28 February 2026.
Passengers can simply tap on and off as normal to register their zero-dollar fare during the free travel period.
Eight new Transit Enforcement Officers will fan out across the bus network in the coming weeks to provide a visible deterrent to anti-social behaviour, reassure passengers and staff, and support drivers against occupational violence.
To learn more about the changes visit Transport Canberra.
