ACT Government and Canberra International Airport to jointly fund road project

(CAPA) The Managing Director of Canberra International Airport, Mr Stephen Byron, has welcomed the ACT Government’s agreement to jointly fund a major road project.

The ACT Government’s budget committed AUD7.5 million to the duplication of Pialligo Avenue but the total cost of the project will run to approximately AUD12.4 million. The Airport has agreed to fund the extra costs and meet the costs of managing the project.

Mr Byron said the new infrastructure would enable the Airport to finalise the internal design work associated with a new terminal. “It was an essential prerequisite to us moving ahead,” he said. “This is a critical piece of infrastructure that will effectively relieve traffic congestion along Pialligo Avenue and at Airport entry points by providing dual lanes for commuters between Queanbeyan, the Airport and Canberra’s CBD,” Mr Byron said. “We will see as many as eight new lanes providing better access to motorists using roads between the Airport and the city.”

The project includes the duplication of Pialligo Avenue (ie two lanes each way) beginning at the intersection of Fairbairn Avenue, Beltana Road and Pialligo Avenue and running past Canberra International Airport.

There will also be two lanes built for traffic entering the Airport and the construction of a grade-separated interchange at the Airport’s new main entry point so that two lanes of traffic can exit the Airport by passing under Pialligo Avenue and joining traffic heading into the City. This interchange will remove current conflicts between Airport passenger traffic and regional traffic heading to Queanbeyan.

“In addition, a ramp for traffic coming from Queanbeyan to the Airport will diverge off Pialligo Avenue then coil its way under the newly elevated Pialligo Avenue and into the Terminal precinct,” Mr Byron said. “Equally a southbound onboard ramp will give passengers heading to Queanbeyan an easy link onto the new road.”

Byron said that, subject to planning approval, the project would be completed by the end of 2008.

Mr Byron said the construction of thousands of new homes built in Gunghalin has meant we have seen traffic using Horsepark Drive and connecting to Majura Road more than treble from 5,000 to 17,000 vehicles a day.

“When you add this to the 28,000 motorists currently using Pialligo Avenue daily you can begin to see why we need this critical infrastructure” Mr Byron said. (Roads are generally duplicated at 20,000 vpd)