One of Canberra's most expensive private schools will spend close to $2 million on a new road entry for its Bruce campus.
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Earthworks removed more than 30 trees from the south-eastern edge of Radford College in November as part of preparation for a new pick up and drop off zone aimed at reducing peak-time congestion.
The new driveway will create left and right entry lanes off Haydon Drive and a straight entry off Battye Street, which leads to the Australian Institute of Sport and Canberra Stadium.
College principal Fiona Godfrey said the development -- approved by the ACT government in a decision "inconsistent" with advice from the Conservator of Flora and Fauna -- would improve safety and convenience.
"We're confident that this new entry will provide a much safer avenue for students walking and cycling to school, as well as alleviating the traffic congestion," she said.
"There will be some landscaping, because its quite a steep gradient [so] there will be some banks of vegetation that need to be landscaped nicely."
The development application was approved in October 2013 after a three-week notice period which drew no objections from the public.
The Conservator did not support the removal of four "medium quality" regulated trees as part of the works, but successfully protected "the only high quality regulated tree in the area", initially planned to be felled, the ACT Planning and Land Authority decision said.
ACTPLA's Major Projects Review Group decided there was no other reasonable location to accommodate the proposed drop off/pick up arrangements within the space available.
Ms Godfrey said the idea had been discussed for a decade and the development was fully funded by the school.
The co-educational Anglican school has more than 1600 students from pre-kindergarten to year 12, with fees of $14,900 in 2015. Only Canberra Grammar School and Canberra Girls Grammar School, both charging more than $20,000 this year, have higher reported fees.
The new entry was expected to be completed by the end of April, with the nearby public shared pathway on Haydon Drive listed as closed until July.
A Territory and Municipal Services spokesman said there were no plans to install a bus stop at the new location, with stops elsewhere on Haydon Drive and adjacent to the current entrance on College Street. He said Haydon Drive was part of the planned Belconnen to City transitway, with the Radford upgrades taking into account the potential future dedicated bus lanes.
