Mount Ainslie Drive will undergo significant roadworks following an ACT coroner's call for safety upgrades.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ACT government put a tender out for the construction works on Wednesday.
Tender documents show the drive down from the popular mountain will be radically changed with a speed bump at the northern end before a slight turn along the drive as it intersects with Fairbairn Avenue.
Small hills will also be installed on both sides of the drive to stop drivers from coming straight down the mountain.
The wall on Fairbairn Avenue directly opposite Mount Ainslie Drive would also be replaced with a slope and uncompacted soil or gravel to slow drivers and prevent them from crashing into the wall.
Uncompacted soil prevents car tyres maintaining grip and slows them.
Design firm AECOM has also recommended installing an entry feature at the start of the drive to emphasise the mountain's attraction to tourists.
The ACT government's own report on the works indicated approval was needed by the National Capital Authority.
It said large trees along the drive would have to be protected but could also pose a risk to drivers once the road is diverted.
The lighting along the drive would also need to be upgraded according to the documents.
A risk assessment also warned pedestrians and cyclists could be at risk travelling along the road and said works may mean a tight fit for tour buses travelling up the mountain.
The report also suggested billboards advertising counselling services should be placed along the drive and ACT Policing should step up patrols in the area at night.
Temporary traffic measures have been in place at the bottom of the drive since December last year after ACT coroner Bernadette Boss recommended design changes to the intersection.
Dr Boss was conducting an inquiry into the suicide of a Canberra driver at the site and wrote to roads minister Shane Rattenbury at the time to implement temporary changes.
She said it posed a public safety hazard to Canberrans.
"It is my sincere hope that my recommendations to government in this matter might constitute a lasting legacy from [the young man's] untimely death," Dr Boss said.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Mensline 1300 789 978
