The Federal Governent’s Infrastructure Australia has added an upgrade of Canberra’s Commonwealth Avenue Bridge to its Infrastructure Priority List as a priority project to support the national infrastructure-led COVID-19 recovery.
Chief Executive of Infrastructure Australia, Romilly Madew said the Agency’s Infrastructure Priority List was a pipeline of nationally-significant investment opportunities for the near, medium and long term.
Ms Madew said the $124.9 million upgrade to the Bridge, proposed by the Commonwealth Government, would deliver critical safety improvements to an iconic and critical part of Canberra’s transport infrastructure.
“The proposal includes structural upgrades to meet modern safety requirements and accommodate the increasing number of vehicles and active transport users travelling on the bridge,” Ms Madew said.
“The Bridge forms part of the corridor for the planned extension of the Canberra Metro light rail network, which would be assessed under a separate business case,” she said.
Ms Madew said the Bridge was one of the busiest transport assets in Canberra.
“Built in 1963, the Bridge reached design capacity more than three years ago, carrying an average of 7,320 vehicles during the morning peak hour,” she said.
“With traffic demand forecast to increase by 25 per cent over the next 15 years, its current structural issues are expected to worsen.”
She said upgrading the Bridge would extend the design life by 50 years, offer improved travel times as well as safety benefits for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.
