Page 1767 - Week 06 - Thursday, 14 May 2015

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Avenue intersection, as well as Horse Park Drive and the Federal Highway. This will provide a high quality alternative way for cyclists to get to and from work. It will also help recreational walkers and cyclists, as well as tourists, access the various businesses along the route and the cycle tracks in the Majura pine plantation, which are popular for mountain bikers, and other Majura Valley tourist facilities, which are particularly popular on the weekends.

The Majura Valley has great potential as a cycle tour area for visits to these various tourist and recreational spots. This cyclepath will promote the area and stimulate local business activity. Facilitation of walking and cycling, whether it is for recreation or for commuting, is an excellent way to complement the investment in the territory that we are making into roads infrastructure. Access to active travel is important to promote physical and mental health outcomes in the community.

The completion of works from north of Fairbairn Avenue will result in the corridor being able to shift focus entirely to the southern end of the project, including the Molonglo and Fairbairn Avenue bridges and their associated roadworks. Construction is underway on both bridges. If you drive out to the airport via Morshead Drive, you will pass under the northbound Molonglo bridge. If you drive out via Fairbairn Avenue, you will drive under the Fairbairn Avenue bridge. I am pleased that these important parts of the project are being completed safely.

The Majura Parkway project is running to budget and to schedule. Expected completion of the project remains on time for June 2016. The new Majura Parkway is just one part of our record capital works program. We are working to put in place the modern, well-planned transport infrastructure befitting Canberra’s status as the national capital. This includes putting in place the appropriate infrastructure to meet demand in key development areas such as Gungahlin as well as an upgrade to the intersection of Majura Road and the Federal Highway, which will supplement the new Majura Parkway once it is complete.

Road infrastructure needs to support this growing area and meet its transport needs, which is why this year’s $162 million roads program includes new projects in the Gungahlin region. Five key projects are going to be delivered to help build an integrated transport network in the region and relieve congestion once complete.

A 1.6-kilometre section of Gungahlin Drive, southbound from north of Sandford Street to the Barton Highway, will be widened to three lanes. An additional signalised left-turn lane will also be provided from Well Station Drive to Gungahlin Drive to help move more traffic. This section of Gungahlin Drive experiences heavy traffic flows in the morning peak period. This simple improvement will make a big difference.

Upgrades will also be undertaken on the Barton Highway-Gundaroo Drive-William Slim Drive roundabout. An additional lane will be added to each approach to provide greater traffic capacity. This will mean that the roundabout will have three circulating lanes. Traffic signals will also be installed at the four approaches to the existing roundabout. It is expected that traffic lights will improve the flow of traffic and increase safety by removing the decisions drivers need to make to ensure that the existing give-way arrangements work correctly. The Horse Park Drive and Anthony


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