Main construction works have begun today on the William Hovell Drive duplication in the ACT, complementing the construction of the new bridge over the Molonglo River.
The long-awaited road upgrade will duplicate 4.5 kilometres of road between John Gorton Drive and Drake Brockman Drive, creating two lanes in each direction to ease congestion and improve safety for over 20,000 vehicles using the Drive each day.
For the Molonglo River Bridge complementing the William Hovell Drive duplication, Concrete Institute Bronze member Geoquest Australia designed and supplied 414 precast concrete deck slabs which have already been lifted into place.
The 200-metre-long bridge will be the tallest road bridge in Canberra with a project cost of $226.2 million and is expected to open to traffic later this year.
The tender for the $107.25 million William Hovell Drive upgrade project was awarded to Canberra Contractors in September 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
It also includes a new 4.5 km three-metre-wide shared path for pedestrians and cyclists along William Hovell Drive connecting with the existing shared path at Bindubi Street.
Innovative fauna crossings will support biodiversity between the Kama and Pinnacle nature reserves under the road and on rope bridges above – the first of their kind in the ACT.
There are also upgrades to the Bicentennial National Trail underpass, construction of retaining walls to protect sensitive environmental areas, and better access to the Old Weetangera Cemetery.
Image: The Molonglo River Bridge. Source: Geoquest Australia
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia, at the helm since December 2013, and our weekly news writer since 2016. Her expertise in this field forms part of a journalism career spanning three decades. To get in touch please email desi@corbettcomms.com