The road duplication will have on-road cycle lanes in each direction and an off-road shared path for the length of the upgrade. The shared path will continue through to Bindubi Street to provide for a missing link in the current path network.

The alignment of the off-road shared path between Drake-Brockman Drive and the underpass adjacent to Hawker has been relocated to the western side of William Hovell Drive (away from residences and the off-leash dog walking area). The ACT Government will mitigate the conflicts on the Bicentennial National Trail and equestrian users in the design as much as possible.

The alignment of the shared path has been governed by numerous factors including safety, environmental constraints such as sensitive ecological and heritage areas and steep topography in a number of locations. The alignment is a balance between safety, functionality and meeting appropriate standards. Any bends that move the shared path through an underpass will include warning signage and mirrors to alert other shared path users of potential oncoming traffic.

The shared path crosses the Bicentennial National Trail in one location adjacent to Hawker. The two approaches will have advisory signs warning of the paths ahead in each direction.

Yes, at three locations:

1. the new signalised intersection of Drake-Brockman Drive, Kingsford Smith Drive and William Hovell Drive
2. at the shared path underpass located adjacent to the two nature reserves and
3. at the intersection of John Gorton Drive and William Hovell Drive.

The shared path will be three metres wide and made of asphalt.

The shared path will connect to the path network at John Gorton Drive and into Whitlam. At Bindubi Street there will be a shared path connection north into Belconnen and a continuation onward towards the City.

The project required a referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. This determined the development to be a controlled action (meaning it may have a significant environment impact).

The Territory development approval is an Impact Track development application which requires an environmental impact statement (EIS) to inform and support the development approval. The EIS assesses the impact of the project on ACT protected matters.

The ACT’s EIS process has been accredited by the Commonwealth Government under a bilateral agreement and therefore the EBPC Act requirements will be addressed as part of the ACT’s EIS assessment.

Environmental investigations commenced with the earlier feasibility study and continued during the detail design stage to inform the requirements of the draft EIS. These included season specific field surveys, identifying threatened and vulnerable flora and fauna, identifying areas of habitat and whether there is a presence of any endangered species. All these studies were undertaken by qualified and experienced ecologists to meet the requirements of the bilateral agreement with the Commonwealth Government and the requirements of the ACT Government’s Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD).

Protection of the two nature reserves during construction and minimising any ongoing impacts was identified early as a key priority of the project.

The project team has had meetings with the ACT Government ecologist, the Office of the Conservator for Flora and Fauna and EPSDD environmental officers to incorporate design measures to maintain the wildlife corridor.

Prior to construction a Construction Environment Management Plan will be required and be approved by the Environment Protection Authority and other Government environmental agencies.

Protection measures for the two nature reserves will include the erection of man proof fencing, treatment of drainage lines with sediment control, installation of sediment basins and a strict ‘No Entry’ during construction. Any other requirements from the EPA and other Government agencies will also be implemented.

Liaison with the ACT Government Ecologist and the Office of the Conservator for Flora and Fauna has identified measures to reduce impacts on the wildlife corridor between the two nature reserves.

A range of measures have been proposed and include; keeping the overall road width as narrow as possible between the two nature reserves, upgrading the existing underpass to be wildlife friendly and to have possum and reptile runs, have the road batters designed to allow kangaroos and wallabies to escape the roadway and back into the nature reserves, having fencing directing wildlife to the underpass, have culverts designed to be used by turtles and other wildlife and incorporating natural light into the underpass (via a skylight, or similar).

The amount of vegetation which will be impacted has been mapped and categorised. Generally, for native species, there will be an impact to 6.5 hectares of Grassy Woodland and 4.5 hectares of planted natives. The project will also remove nine hectares of exotic grasslands. Full details of this is available in the Biodiversity Impact Report. The offset required for the Grassy Woodland is currently being determined with EPSDD.

The alignment design has aimed to reduce impact on mature trees where possible. However, where not possible, a landscaping planting regime is being designed with a general replacement rule of 10:1 for mature trees. Proposed trees are native and are either Casuarina Cunninghamiana or one of 6 x different species of Eucalyptus.

A total of 59 mature trees have been identified for removal and will be replaced at a ratio of 10:1 equating to 590 new trees to be planted.

A Noise and Vibration Assessment (the Study) was undertaken as part of the draft EIS process. The Study was undertaken using current ACT guidelines and specifications by a specialist contracting firm. The contractor is fully accredited and experienced in working in the ACT. The Study undertook noise monitoring using traffic volumes available from the traffic signals at John Gorton Drive and other available data. This provided a base for normal 2020 traffic noise and then was used to model what the road noise levels would be in 2031 under full traffic volumes. Any future noise levels above the required standard were identified and noise mitigation measures are proposed to lower these to an acceptable level.

Additional noise monitoring activities were undertaken in February 2022 with the analysis currently underway ahead of confirming the necessary noise mitigation treatments.

The identified options to mitigate noise levels include noise walls / earth mounds, on-site treatments at residences and low noise road pavements. Additional noise monitoring activities were undertaken in February 2022 with the analysis currently underway ahead of confirming the necessary noise mitigation treatment.

There were a total of four duplication options examined in the feasibility study. The preferred option provided the best result in terms of minimising environmental impact, minimising traffic impacts during construction, balancing the earthworks required and providing the best value for money outcome. This preferred option has been progressed and refined in the detail design stage.

The decision to update the existing roundabout with a signalised intersection was the subject of a separate design investigation which examined the benefits and disbenefits of each.

The traffic modelling undertaken for this project show the traffic lights will in fact improve traffic flow, as opposed to having a negative effect.

Multiple arrangements were investigated for this intersection including both roundabout options and signals. Due to the expected increase in traffic by 2031 as a result of surrounding development, the existing roundabout layout will cause excessive delays, particularly in the morning peak.

Traffic signals will also permit the phasing of traffic flow during the AM and PM peak times to maximise peak flow directions and reduce congestion. It should be noted that when it comes to traffic flow, roundabouts have an in-built priority rule, which means that in heavy traffic, movements in one direction can tend to dominate and cause excessive delays to vehicle movements in other directions.

Traffic signals provide the ability to alter the signal phasing to provide priority and better traffic flow for the AM and PM peaks. There is also the capability of the signals to be connected to adjacent traffic signals to phase and improve traffic flows.

After discussions with Parks and Conservation Service, there will be no public access to either of the nature reserves off William Hovell Drive. There is access to The Pinnacle Nature Reserve from the north via Weetangera and a new carpark will be built in Whitlam on the eastern edge of Kama Nature Reserve providing a safe entrance away from high-speed traffic. Also, not having access from William Hovell Drive will eliminate the traffic conflict of vehicles in entering and exiting the road in this location.

The new road duplication will be able to accommodate public transport in the form of buses if required in the future.

The total budget allocation as announced in the 2021/22 ACT Budget was $63.25 million. The Commonwealth has committed to contributing $26.5 million with the ACT Government contributing the remaining $36.75 million.

Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2023 and take approximately three years to complete. More certainty will be known around these timeframes following the EIS/DA processes.