5 November 2021 – By the NRMA
ACT begins $19.5m repair program to renew the capital's roads
Canberra’s roads are set for a revamp over summer with almost a million square metres of new pavement to be laid following one of the wettest winters on record with smart technology used to improve the state of the ACT’s roads.
The $19.5 million repair program will see 925,000 square metres of roads resurfaced across Canberra. Major roads planned for renewal include the Monaro Highway, Tuggeranong Parkway, Long Gully Road, Ginninderra Drive, College Street, Mirrabei Drive, Mawson Drive and Cooyong Street in the city.
“These are some of our city’s important road links connecting people between and within our regions, so these resurfacing works will deliver better driving conditions for tens of thousands of Canberrans," said Minister for Transport and City Services Chris Steel.
In general, the service life of a highly trafficked road is over 10 years while residential streets often deliver 25 to 30 years of service. Road resurfacing treatments include road resealing, asphalt resurfacing and microsurfacing which helps to:
- waterproof the road, and stop the formation of potholes
- improve the skid resistance of the road surface
- fill cracks in the pavement and delivered more than 11,000 square metres of hot asphalt repairs in the last financial year,” said Minister Steel.
The new program works will be undertaken using local roads contractors and asphalt manufacturers.
As part of the re-surfacing program, the ACT Government is undertaking a trial of innovative new defect detection technology with the start-up Frontline Data Systems. Cameras attached to vehicles will scan and automatically photograph road surfaces, with the artificial intelligence software identifying and classifying areas in need of repair.
Road resurfacing will first be undertaken in rural areas on Boboyan Road and Paddys River Road. The first suburban areas will follow in Tuggeranong later in November and early December 2021.
Signage will be erected well in advance of road resurfacing. Affected residents and businesses will also be advised by letterbox drop at least two days before the start of resealing works on their street.
In addition to works to local roads, the recent ACT Budget has delivered more than $1 billion for roads and transport projects and maintenance (including small and medium scale projects and duplication works), many of which have previously been supported by the NRMA.
More information on the road resurfacing program, including daily updates on the streets and suburbs where work is taking place, can be found at cityservices.act.gov.au.
