A study of traffic delays on Canberra's southside should be commissioned to consider the impact of road works associated with light rail works in the city centre, the opposition has said.
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Deputy Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson will move a motion in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday calling on the government to "end this traffic chaos as soon as possible by not proceeding with Stage 2B" of light rail.
A traffic study should consider delays in the Woden, Weston Creek and Tuggeranong regions, including on the Tuggeranong Parkway, Cotter Road, John Gorton Drive and Hindmarsh Drive.
Mr Hanson said Canberrans were frustrated and Transport Minister Chris Steel needed to explain how motorists could "find a different way into the city" when all major southside roads were affected.
"My office and other Canberra Liberal MLAs are being contacted daily by constituents who are frustrated about the current delays and traffic when coming from the south side of Canberra," Mr Hanson said.
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The Deputy Opposition Leader, who led the Canberra Liberals to a 2016 election loss with a platform opposed to light rail, said the government should abandon the Commonwealth Park to Woden leg of the light rail project.
"It is important for Canberrans to know, that after a decade of traffic disruption the result will be a tram to Woden that will take twice as long as the current rapid bus and cost taxpayers over $3 billion," he said.
Fresh pressure has been applied to the ACT government to release the cost estimates and completion date for the light rail link to Woden, with a parliamentary inquiry calling for the detail to be made public "as soon as practicable".
The government should also announce the estimated completion date for the project to raise London Circuit, which will allow light rail tracks to connect to Commonwealth Avenue, a committee report tabled on Tuesday said.
The off-ramp for southbound traffic on Parkes Way to Commonwealth Avenue closed for a week from 10am on Tuesday.
Closing the off-ramp will allow work to continue on the raising London Circuit project, which is part of preparations for an extension of light rail to Commonwealth Park.
The ACT government has previously said the week-long closure will allow for 24-hour works and would mean fewer weekend closures would be needed.
The government has also previously said it expects traffic capacity on Commonwealth Avenue to drop by almost 80 per cent during the raising London Circuit project.
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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.
