Canberra's city centre and a major arterial road are set to be significantly disrupted for weeks this summer as the next major phase of light rail construction gets underway.
Major Road Closures and Timeline
Substantial construction works will commence on January 4, 2026, focusing on the Alinga Street light rail stop and along Northbourne Avenue between the Rudd Street/Bunda Street intersection and Vernon Circle. This preparatory work is for track installation scheduled later in January.
In a major impact for motorists, Northbourne Avenue will be fully closed to through traffic in both directions between Vernon Circle and Cooyong Street from 7am on Sunday, January 4, until 5am on Monday, February 2. Only local traffic accessing driveways will be permitted, under traffic control.
Concurrently, the intersection of Northbourne Avenue and Alinga Street will be completely closed. This includes the pedestrian crossings on Alinga Street and the Alinga Street light rail stop itself. Pedestrians will need to use crossings at Rudd Street/Bunda Street to the north or London Circuit to the south.
Additional Works and Light Rail Service Suspension
Further north, works will also occur on Northbourne Avenue in Lyneham, between Mouat Street and Thurbon Road, near Netball ACT. From January 12 to January 23, the avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction in this section.
A more intensive closure will see the northbound lanes between Mouat Street and Swinden Street shut from the evening of Friday, January 16, until 6pm on Monday, January 19. Only southbound travel will be allowed during this period.
These works will directly affect light rail services. There will be no tram services operating between Alinga Street and Sandford Street in Mitchell from the first service on Monday, January 12, until the last service on Friday, January 23. This suspension is to allow the existing network to be connected to the new Stage 2A extension running to Commonwealth Park.
During this suspension, rail replacement buses will operate at the normal light rail frequency or better. These buses will run between Alinga Street and Sandford Street, continuing to Well Station Drive, and will depart from platform 4 of the city bus interchange.
Wider Transport Impacts and Rationale
The disruption extends to the city bus interchange. Platforms 1, 2 and 3 will be closed from Monday, January 5, to Sunday, February 1 to facilitate works at the Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue intersection. Affected bus services will be temporarily relocated to other interchange platforms on Mort Street.
An Infrastructure Canberra spokesperson stated that the works have been strategically scheduled during the school holiday period to enable substantial construction progress and to prevent the need for additional closures later in 2026.
This major construction push coincides with other significant works, including the planned reduction of Commonwealth Avenue Bridge to one lane in each direction from the start of January.
The scope of works is extensive, going beyond just track laying. The project will also involve installing new traffic signals, street lighting, retaining walls, paving, asphalting, and landscaping. A key feature will be preparing for the light rail to operate in a wire-free zone through the city centre.
