Keeping our growing city moving

The ACT Government is making the investments our growing city needs to cut congestion and help Canberrans move around quickly, conveniently and with less impact on our environment.

Through the 2018 Budget, we are continuing to invest in a city-wide integrated public transport system for Canberra, with new investment in Light Rail Stage Two to Woden. We are also investing more in our roads network, with intersection upgrades in our suburbs and new roads infrastructure linking up our growing regions.

A city-wide integrated public transport network for Canberra

The ACT Government is building an integrated public transport network that will change the way Canberrans move around our city. Along with our significant investment in Light Rail Stage One and our expansion of the rapid bus network, this Budget will also deliver:

• $10 million for the next stage of planning, design and enabling works for Light Rail Stage Two from the City to Woden. With a preferred route now on the table and discussions well underway with the Commonwealth Government, we are getting on with making the second stage of Canberra’s transformative public transport project a reality. We will also fund planning for a light rail stop at Mitchell as part of the Gungahlin to City light rail route
• $2.5 million for enabling works that will support the delivery of Light Rail Stage Two, including early planning work and the preparation of detailed business cases for works on the Woden Bus Interchange and surrounding road network, Park and Ride facilities and the Yarra Glen roundabout and intersections.

The ACT Government will also continue to purchase new, cleaner buses for our expanded rapid network as our city continues to grow.

Better, safer roads

This Budget will invest more in our roads network to deliver better, safer roads. This includes:

• Duplicating William Slim Drive from Ginninderra Drive to the Barton Highway to help reduce congestion between Gungahlin and Belconnen. This will include approximately 3.2 kilometres of new carriageway, 6.4 kilometres of new on-road cycle lanes and a new bridge over Ginninderra Creek
• Commencing early planning and design on the extension of John Gorton Drive and a bridge across the Molonglo River. This project will connect the first stages of the Molonglo region to the future development front, and is among the most significant pieces of major infrastructure to be delivered in coming years
• $8.4 million over four years to construct safer intersections in Belconnen, including:
  • Ginninderra Drive and Tillyard Drive intersection upgrades
  • Tillyard Drive and Lhotsky Street intersection upgrades
  • Kuringa Drive and Owen Dixon Drive upgrades
• $150,000 for early planning of safer pedestrian streets in Pialligo.

The Government will also provide matched funding of up to $100 million to upgrade the Monaro Highway after the Commonwealth Government commitment in this year’s Federal Budget. We welcome this investment in Canberra’s road network and will provide appropriate matched funding once the project is scoped and agreed.

These new investments in Canberra’s public transport and road networks will help keep our city moving as we grow.

Media contact: Claire Johnston     0452 597 459     ClaireV.Johnston@act.gov.au