Motorists can expect lane closures on Bindubi Street in Belconnen this month as a new $21 million joint emergency services hub is built at Aranda.
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But ACT Emergency Services Agency Commissioner Dominic Lane hosed down concerns the building work would cause a repeat of the traffic chaos caused by construction of the Tuggeranong fire station at Tharwa this time last year.
The temporary closures will be between Belconnen Way and Bardi Place at the northern end of the street from Monday, January 11 to Friday, January 29.
The closure is to allow for contractors to connect utilities such as water and sewer supply to the new Belconnen Ambulance and Fire and Rescue Station.
The speed limit on the street will be lowered to 40km/hr and at least one lane will remain open.
Commuters were frustrated by ongoing and lengthy delays when Tharwa Drive was closed to allow for construction of the new Tuggeranong Fire and Rescue Station last January.
Changed traffic measures that were put in place to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow also received a mixed response from motorists.
Mr Lane warned motorists could expect delays but said the northside building was "a completely different project" and only one lane would be closed at a time.
"The idea is to get on with this work as quickly as we possibly can, to only partially close the road by these temporary lane closures and to complete these works before the return to school of students at the Canberra High School.
"Motorists need to plan in advance in relation to these temporary lane closures. The message is to plan your trip around a little bit of extra time needed to get to work."
A traffic management plan for the project had been approved by Roads ACT.
Building works for the new station began in March last year and Mr Lane said it was on track to be completed in June this year.
The shared station will replace two existing stations in Belconnen Town Centre and will house personnel from ACT Fire and Rescue and the ACT Ambulance Service.
"From here we'll have 24/7 crews of both paramedics and firefighters working from this key location where they'll be able to respond not only across the Belconnen area but of course across the ACT when required," Mr Lane said.
Plans for a new station were part of a major relocation strategy designed to improve emergency response times and to cater for the state's population growth
