A construction company has been awarded a $172 million contract to build the long-awaited bridge across the Molonglo River in Canberra's west.
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The federal and ACT governments on Thursday announced BMD Construction Pty Ltd would build the jointly funded project, which will service the growing Molonglo region and supersede the low-lying Coppins Crossing.
The bridge, which will be 227.5 metres long, would be open to the public at the end of 2025, the governments said in a joint statement, with detailed design work to be completed this year.
The project also includes road approaches and new intersections.
ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel said the project showed the territory was committed to delivering the infrastructure Canberra needed as its population grew.
"This project isn't just about bridging the Molonglo River, it is about constructing the lead-in roads with intersections that link with the new suburb of Molonglo which will be the region's commercial centre," Mr Steel said.
"The new bridge will provide a reliable connection for Canberrans in both directions to the City, Belconnen, Weston Creek and Woden and pave the way for expanded rapid bus routes."
Mr Steel said the government would work closely with the contractor to ensure Coppins Crossing is seldom shut during the construction work.
The crossing will remain once the bridge is completed to provide limited access to the river.
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Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King said the Commonwealth understood the importance of infrastructure projects to cut congestion and support growing populations.
"This project will provide a major economic stimulus to the Canberra region, including supporting an estimated 560 jobs during the detailed design and construction phases," Ms King said.
Ms King said the federal government was determined its infrastructure investments did not add to inflation pressures in the economy.
"I think what we saw under the previous government was we had a lot of noise about announcements - a lot of fanfare about announcements," she said.
"And when I've looked at the 800 projects that the Commonwealth's investing in with state and territory governments, there's a substantial number that are going to take a long time to deliver, because they've either been poorly planned and not costed properly ... or simply state governments have just not got the capacity to build them.
"So my job has been to really try and make sure that we are working absolutely in lockstep with state and territory governments to actually deliver these projects."
The ACT's 2019 infrastructure plan had said the Molonglo bridge would be completed by 2024.
"Design and construction is expected to commence in 2020-21 and be completed in 2024," the report said.
The government in 2021 said work on the bridge would start in mid-2023. Work is still expected to commence on the bridge this year.
The ACT government has already paid consultants SMEC Australia $6.5 million to prepare tender documents for the design and construct phases of the project, and to oversee the tender selection process.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
