The ACT government and Canberra Metro say it is "entirely appropriate" for light rail electrical cables to be installed on the underside of a bridge over Sullivans Creek, in an area classified as "high hazard" for flooding.
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They also expect trams to be taking passengers before April 27, preventing any further delay in the rollout of Canberra's new bus network.
A spokesman responding to questions on behalf of the government's Transport Canberra and City Services directorate and Canberra Metro said the cables, which are under a bridge on Flemington Road, had been installed above the one-in-100-year flood level for the area.
Canberra Metro is the consortium building stage one of light rail. It consists of eight companies including John Holland, which is responsible for design, construction, operations and maintenance.
"The bridge design is compliant with the project’s requirements, which in turn followed a detailed flood study for the project," the spokesman said.
"In addition, Canberra Metro has safety and operational procedures in place for any wet weather events across the whole alignment, including any very rare flood events which could conceivably occur."
ACT government flood maps classify the area in question as "high hazard" – the most serious level on the scale. Water there would rise more than 1.5 metres during a one-in-100-year flood, according to the maps, which don't specify a maximum height.
The bridge is 2.97 metres high, but two sets of trunking – enclosures used to protect electrical cables – has been fixed to the underside of the bridge, reducing the capacity for floodwaters to pass underneath by 75 centimetres.
While the government and Canberra Metro say there is no issue with the location of the cables, scaffolding has been set up under the bridge since the Sunday Canberra Times reported on concerns over their installation last weekend.
The government and Canberra Metro spokesman said the scaffolding was "for Canberra Metro construction activities" and the work did not change their assertion that the cables were appropriately located.
Electrical Trades Union ACT officer Mick Koppie has said Sullivans Creek should have been underbored to avoid placing cables under the bridge, and that water from less serious floods is now more likely to be pushed up onto Flemington Road and onto the tracks, potentially rendering trams inoperable.
Mr Koppie and workers on the light rail project have also previously raised concerns about the depth of electrical cables installed on the route between Gungahlin and the city centre.
Photos of electrical conduits in a pit near the intersection of the Federal Highway and Flemington Road appear to show cables installed less than 750 millimetres below ground level – the depth required under Australian standards.
The Transport Canberra and City Services spokesman said there was still no exact date for the start of light rail operations, with "early 2019" still the target.
He said the directorate was confident trams would be taking passengers before April 27, when Canberra's new bus network is set to be rolled out.
The revamped bus network was originally supposed to launch in January, but the start date was pushed back because of delays on the light rail project.
"We expect light rail to be operational by April 27 and for the bus network to be introduced on that date for the commencement of the second school term," the spokesman said.
"It would be optimal for light rail and the new bus network to begin around the same time, or for light rail to start operations before the changes to the bus network are introduced.
"Timetables for the new bus network will be released in March."
