Drivers fear there will be traffic chaos in north Canberra from Monday morning, when part of a busy road closes for almost four months while safety upgrades are carried out.
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From 9.30am, Old Well Station Road will be shut in both directions from the Federal Highway to the Exhibition Park in Canberra car park entry, as works on the Federal Highway intersection begin.
The road is not scheduled to reopen until August 31. Transport Canberra and City Services says the $3.2 million improvements will be coordinated with the light rail project to minimise traffic disruption.
But Anne Lewis, who regularly uses Old Well Station Road, said doing both sets of work at the same time would have the opposite effect.
"When I saw the sign saying it would be closed, I thought, 'Are you serious?'" she said.
"It's a major arterial road, and the traffic can be bumper to bumper as it is with people trying to get out of Harrison."
Ms Lewis said if the ACT government had any common sense, it would have waited until the light rail works on nearby Flemington Road were finished before starting on the Old Well Station Road intersection.
"Flemington Road has been cut down to one lane and has a speed limit of 40km/h in many parts," she said.
"They really need to wait until it's finished, or at least back up to two lanes. People going to work during peak hour are really going to suffer."
The works will also affect people visiting Exhibition Park in Canberra and the Capital Region Farmers Market, with alternative entrances in place on Stirling Avenue and Morriset Road during the road closure.
A Transport Canberra and City Services spokesperson said works at the intersection had been prioritised for safety reasons.
"We have consulted with EPIC management to ensure these works are taking place during a low period in events at the park to minimise impacts, and we have and will continue to liaise with Canberra Metro and the light rail project to minimise traffic disruptions," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the project would significantly improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, while also improving traffic flow at peak times.
Four-way traffic lights would be installed at the intersection, the pavement on the Old Well Station Road approach widened and realigned to improve sight lines and increase right turn capacity.
A new footpath would also be put in on the east side of Old Well Station Road. The left and right turn lanes on the Federal Highway approach would be extended.
