Monday will mark the beginning of months of traffic misery for motorists and airline passengers in Canberra's east, the ACT government has warned.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As construction of the long awaited Majura Parkway moves into its next phase, drivers moving through the Pialligo area have been warned to brace for chaos.
Reduced speed limits, lane closures and various other traffic control measures have been flagged as the heavy equipment prepares to roll in.
The disruption is expected to be most intense at the southern end of Majura Road, already a peak-hour bottleneck, where access points to the new road works need to be built.
The area is also the main approach route to Canberra Airport from much of the city.
When completed, the Majura Parkway will be a four-lane, dual carriageway between the Federal Highway and the Monaro Highway, intended to relieve traffic pressure on central Canberra and provide an alternative freight route through the territory.
The new road, which will follow a route to the west of Majura Road, should be mostly complete by 2016 and have a 100km/h speed limit.
The new 11.5-kilometre highway is slated to carry an extra 30,000 vehicles each day by 2031.
''Traffic control signs including electric sign boards will be erected at Monaro Highway, Pialligo Avenue, Morshead Drive, Fairbairn Avenue, and the Federal Highway advising of changes to speed limits during construction,'' the official government notification reads.
''Traffic controllers will be directing traffic at Morshead Drive, Fairbairn Avenue, Monaro Highway and Majura Road in the vicinity of Tambreet Street from early January 2013 to the end of February 2013.
''In addition, partial lane closures will be in place from mid-January 2013 to the end of March 2013 at Morshead Drive, Pialligo Avenue and Majura Road in the vicinity of Tambreet Street.''