Work is underway along the Monaro Highway, thanks to the $230.5 million investment jointly funded by the Australian and ACT governments.
Senator for the ACT Zed Seselja said once completed, this upgrade will make the Monaro safer and improve travel times and capacity, ensuring Canberrans can get home sooner and safer.
"Delivering on my 2016 promise, these early works lay the groundwork for significant upgrades to the intersection of the Monaro Highway and Lanyon Drive, with further upgrades to the Hume interchange and Isabella Drive intersection in the pipeline," Senator Seselja said.
"The federal commitment of $115.25 million to the Monaro Highway upgrade will also investigate improvements to other key intersections, including Isabella Drive, Sheppard Street, Mugga Lane and Tralee Street.
"Since 2013, the Australian Government has committed more than $1.2 billion towards road and freight infrastructure projects in ACT, supporting 1,905 jobs and boosting the economy.
"The Australian Government will continue to invest in and deliver the road infrastructure projects that matter to locals, tourists, businesses and freight operators."
ACT Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel said this project will create around 700 jobs during design and construction, with early works involving utility relocations to facilitate construction of Stage 1 of the project; the new flyover at Lanyon Drive and a new exit to Sheppard Street.
"These upgrades will support the safe and efficient movement of people and freight around a growing part of our region in Southern ACT and NSW," said Minister Steel.
"The project is focused on improving safety on the Highway by removing dangerous at-grade intersections and separating traffic turning across the Monaro, in and out of Hume and NSW."
In the coming weeks an expression of interest for the tender to design and construct the upgrades at the Lanyon Drive Interchange will be released. It is expected a contract will be awarded late this year with designs to be finalised and construction to commence in 2023.
"The second stage of the Monaro Highway project will involve replacing intersections further down at Sheppard Street, Tralee St and Mugga Lane with a new bridge, which is currently in design. Stage three involves the design of a new interchange at Isabella Drive which will directly connect Tuggeranong, Hume and Googong."
The improvements at the Lanyon Drive Interchange include:
- a new southbound flyover on the Monaro Highway over Lanyon Drive (including three-metre-wide sealed shoulders)
- removal of traffic lights at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (intersection of the Monaro Highway and David Warren Road)
- a new roundabout at the intersection of the new Monaro Highway southbound off-ramp and David Warren Road extension
- upgrade of the signalised intersection at Lanyon Drive and Sheppard Street to four ways to include a direct connection to David Warren Road and the Monaro Highway southbound off-ramp.
