Why do we need to duplicate Athllon Drive?

Is there actually that much peak hour congestion on the road to warrant a multi-million dollar cost and who knows how many months of construction? Not to mention the bulldozing of trees and clearing of open space?

I drive Athllon Drive most mornings. The main sticking point seems to be between the Red Rooster roundabout and Sulwood Drive - part of the proposed duplication - but it clears up quickly. I have experienced way worse morning peak hour on roads such as the Cotter Road, with traffic bumper-to-bumper out of the new suburbs of Molonglo.

The duplication of Athllon Drive has been kicked around for the last decade, the ultimate pre-election sweetener that never seems to actually get done. It was first announced in 2012 by Zed Seselja when he was the opposition leader, a month before the ACT election of that year.

It was then endorsed by ACT Labor in 2020 with the Barr government releasing "plans" for the duplication a month before the election of that year. It has also been backed by the NRMA.

In last week's federal budget, $46.7 million was allocated for the Athllon Drive duplication according to a media release signed off by numerous ministers including now ACT Liberal Senator Zed Seselja. All ahead of a federal election this year.

The ACT government plans to duplicate a total of 3km of Athllon Drive, from Shea Street to Melrose Drive in the north and from Sulwood Drive to Drakeford Drive in the south. The work includes new intersections, bus stops, shared paths, a bus priority lane and a pedestrian and cyclist underpass under Sulwood Drive, "to ensure that this strategic transport corridor is a great option for all commuters, whether they use public transport, cycle or drive a private vehicle".

Both stretches of road are regarded as bottlenecks that hold up traffic as it tries to get on to the existing four-laned parts of Athllon Drive/

The government says more than 14,000 vehicles travel on Athllon Drive per day, including nearly 2000 per hour in the peak periods.

"The duplication of Athlon Drive will make travelling to the city safer and faster for residents in Tuggeranong and is a key part of the ACT government's plan to create and protect local jobs by delivering the infrastructure our growing city needs," a spokesperson said.

(The latest stats from the ABS found that in the 2020-21 financial year, the three suburbs with the highest growth were Throsby in Gungahlin (an incredible 38 per cent), followed by Greenway in Tuggeranong (11 per cent) and Coombs in Molonglo (10 per cent).

There have been a lot of units go up in Greenway. But the city's growth is undoubtedly in the north. Fun fact: the ABS says the centre of population for the ACT as at June 2021 was in Lake Burley Griffin, north of Yarralumla. It had moved 60 metres north in 2020-21, "reflecting population growth in the northern suburbs".)

Between 2001 and 2021, Tuggeranong's population has fallen from 91,525 to 84,268. A decline of 8 per cent. Tuggeranong's days as Nappy Valley are long gone. That title now belongs to Gungahlin. Yet Labor has been quoting the same traffic figures for Athllon Drive for at least the last two years, with no fresh updates.

Transport Minister Chris Steel has said that the Athllon Drive duplication would "cut at least two minutes off travel times for morning commuters on the R4 and R5, making our public transport system more efficient and reliable".

Two minutes. At what cost?

The project has been heartily endorsed by the NRMA.

"The NRMA identified the Athllon Drive duplication works to further improve capacity, efficiency and safety between Greenway and Woden Valley as a key infrastructure project ahead of the 2020 ACT election," a spokesperson said.

"We welcome improvements to roads which improve mobility for current and future road users.

"We urge the ACT community to continue to provide feedback as these projects develop to ensure that the best possible outcomes are achieved."

When the duplication work starts, how long it will take and how much it will cost seems to be anyone's guess.

How much will the Athllon Drive duplication cost? "The ACT Government established a provision for this project in 2020. We are currently reviewing the project cost estimates in line with further design work, project scope and the recent price escalations seen across the infrastructure market," a spokesperson said.

How long will the work take? "Concept designs have been completed and we will be commencing detail design for the project later this year, which is expected to take around 18 months, with construction to commence soon after," the spokesperson said.

ACT Greens transport spokesperson Jo Clay says more roads are not a long-term solution to road congestion and "every single road duplication needs to be really carefully thought out".

"When we build a new suburb of course we need to put in the right infrastructure, of course we need roads and schools and shops and set them up to really thrive," Ms Clay said.

"But when we're talking about road duplications, building more roads is not a long-term fix to road congestion. More roads fill up with more cars and more roads actually lead to more climate emissions.

"A better approach is to put more money into public and active transport and help people get out of their car."

Ms Clay suggested the duplication was not a fait accompli.

"We just want to look at every duplication before we commit," she said.

"We don't think it's right to simply commit to a road duplication simply because someone has announced it before an election."

By contrast, Senator Seselja says the Athllon Drive duplication is "long overdue".

"Tuggeranong residents will reap the benefits of a shorter and safer commute to work with the completion of the Athllon Drive duplication," he said

"The ACT Labor-Greens consistently delay and fail to deliver on promises to the people of Tuggeranong in favour of Barr's pet projects and, quite frankly, Tuggeranong residents are tired of these false promises."

Watch this space.