Wednesday was a nightmare morning for commuters on Canberra's roads, with multiple motor vehicle crashes compounding frustrations as Parkes Way remained closed.
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Westbound lanes on Parkes Way remained closed between Edinburgh Avenue and Clunies Ross Street, and diversions would continue into the morning, an ACT Policing spokeswoman said.
A three-car prang on the Kings Avenue ramp onto Parkes Way added to drivers' woes, while a trailer turnover on Athllon Drive in the city's south added to the congestion following Tuesday's partial collapse of the Acton Tunnel after its ceiling was shredded by an excavator.
The Emergency Services Agency said traffic monitoring indicated fewer vehicles used Parkes Way to head east into the city, where there was a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit in place, choosing various other routes such as Belconnen Way and Barry Drive; Majura Parkway towards Fairbairn Avenue; and Northbourne Avenue.
There is no word on when the excavator and semi trailer will be removed from the Acton Tunnel but police investigators and WorkSafe ACT inspectors returned to the site on Wednesday morning.
Authorities were unable to say for how long the westbound lanes on Parkes Way will be closed, with bonded asbestos needing be removed from the tunnel's ceiling before the excavator can be removed.
WorkSafe says there are no safety concerns associated with using the eastbound lanes of the tunnel while work continues in the westbound side.
The excavator, travelling on the back of a truck, ripped 60 metres off the ceiling of the Acton Tunnel, near the Australian Botanic Gardens, causing a partial collapse at about 10.20am on Tuesday.
With Parkes Way's westbound lanes closed it was a hectic Tuesday evening peak hour for Canberra workers too, with many heeding the government's advice to leave plenty of time and consider alternative ways home.
About 40,000 vehicles travel through Parkes Way each weekday.
Donna Pearce, who was standing on a busy Coranderrk Street waiting to be picked up, changed her plans to include a bus trip to avoid the worst of the traffic.
"We're 20 minutes [usually] from when my husband leaves Russell, goes to Woden picks me up and then back out to Hall," she said.
"It's going to be an hour round trip today, I've already been on the bus for 30 minutes."
Ray Bojczuk, from Higgins, took the government's advice - and a heads up from his wife - and left work early to pick up his kids.
"I expect it'll be probably about double the amount of time, because I've got to get to Belconnen from [Civic] so I've got to get along Kings Avenue and London Circuit."
Traffic crawled at the corner of Parkes Way and Coranderrk Street starting from about 4.30pm, as several police officers directed cars. Traffic was also backed up on northbound lanes on Commonwealth Avenue bridge and slow at Northbourne Avenue at Civic.
At 5pm, police advised people to avoid the city area.
Seeing the lines of cars banked up during Tuesday's peak hour, many people had opted to walk to their destination rather than drive or take a taxi. Bus services were also affected by the accident in the tunnel, with the routes of many ACTION buses diverted away from Parkes Way.
Parliament house worker Sam Spencer said he felt sorry for the driver of the truck who would be attracting the ire of drivers stuck in traffic.
with Fleta Page and Emma Kelly
