A major infrastructure project at the intersection of London Circuit and Commonwealth Avenue will have the biggest impact to travel times in the morning peak, the government believes.
Work began on Monday on the raising London Circuit project, which will involve 60,000 cubic metres of fill being trucked into the city to level the road with Commonwealth Avenue, replacing two bridges installed in the late 1960s.
Transport Minister Chris Steel said the government expected most of the disruption to take place in the peak times, especially the morning, but most people would be still able to access the city centre.
"We think people will still be able to go about their business in the CBD, but they just need to take into account that they might need to take a little bit longer - maybe five or 10 minutes longer, depending on where they're travelling in the CBD," Mr Steel said.
Mr Steel was joined by Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Major Projects Canberra head Duncan Edghill and Abergeldie Contractors chief executive Mark Bruzzone to turn the first sod on the project on Monday morning.
Mr Barr said the project was part of the government's plan to expand the footprint of Canberra's central business district and make it more pedestrian friendly.
"This precinct as it currently stands prioritises motor vehicles first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eight, ninth and tenth," Mr Barr said.
"There is no space more alienated to people than what we currently have now. There are more rabbits there in a single day than there are people over the course of a year. That's going to change as a result of this initiative."
Temporary traffic lights and a new bus lane will be installed at the northern side of Vernon Circle in the first part of the project.
A new footpath and pedestrian lights will link Constitution Avenue and Edinburgh Avenue around the southern end of City Hill.
Work to build the new City Hill footpath, install traffic lights and have a new bus lane is expected to take between eight and 12 weeks.
Work is expected to begin later this year to demolish the first of two overpass bridges that link Commonwealth Avenue over London Circuit.
One bridge will be demolished at a time, allowing for temporary lane arrangements to continue carrying vehicles through the construction area.
The government has previously said it expects traffic capacity on Commonwealth Avenue to drop by almost 80 per cent during the project.
Lane closures and lower speed limits could see traffic capacity on Commonwealth Avenue cut from 5200 vehicles an hour to 1100 vehicles an hour.
Traffic modelling showed Kings Avenue could see 20 per cent more traffic in the morning and afternoon peaks, as motorists sought to avoid Commonwealth Avenue and road closures.
Traffic on Parkes Way between Kings Avenue and the city could also rise between 45 and 60 per cent in peak periods, the ACT government said.
The fill required for the project will be brought in from other construction sites across Canberra.
The works will mean the intersection reverts to its original layout, before the network of overpasses and clover-leaf turns were installed in the late 1960s, in works that shut the southern end of London Circuit for more than a year.
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