Speed limits will be lowered from 80km/h to 60km/h on roads surrounding Melrose High School in Pearce between 3pm and 3.30pm, in response to fears for student safety.
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Traffic lights at the intersection of Beasley Street and Athllon Drive will also be adjusted to allow students more time to cross the road safely.
The changes follow a series of studies by Territory and Municipal Services that discovered 300 students cross the intersection between 3.15pm and 3.30pm each school day. The new regulations will be implemented on Tuesday March 11.
Melrose High School Principal George Palavestra said the changes reflect almost a decade of efforts by the school to address the problem and improve student safety.
He said the school board have considered numerous proposals that ultimately proved unfeasible, including the redirection of bus routes and construction of an overhead pass.
"The major problem is the volume of students trying to cross the road to access bus services. Between 3.10pm and 3.30pm we have in excess of 300 students crossing up to 9 layers of traffic."
Minister for Territory and Municipal Services Shane Rattenbury said "this is an exceptional case where a very high number of students cross an 80km/h road within a short period of time."
“The Melrose High School Board has been closely consulted about the proposals and supports the changes," he said.
Mr Palavestra said he was encouraged by the level of cooperation the school have received from TAMS and the government, particularly from Roads ACT director Tony Gill.
“We’ve been dealing with Tony Gill who has taken a personal interest in this and as a result we’ve got a strategy that is going to help without a doubt,” he said.
Traffic Management and Safety senior manager Rifaat Shukrallah said TAMS have “made an offer to the school to help educate the children on their safety and their right way of crossing the road.”
Mr Shukrallah also said TAMS will work with police to ensure the new speed limit is enforced and to make sure children do not cross the road against the red light.
Mr Rattenbury did not anticipate the measures would become standard practice in Canberra.
“This is a unique solution to what it a unique situation in the territory. Most of our schools are not on arterial roads like Melrose High School,” he said.
"This is a one off for Melrose high school.”
Mr Palavestra confirmed that at least three students have been hit by cars on Athllon Drive in the past five years.
In November 2012, an 11-year-old Marist Junior School student's bicycle collided with a car. The boy, who was given a bloodied nose by the car door, was helped by three senior students from the adjacent Melrose High School.
