City Gridlock Expected: National Multicultural Festival and Major Light Rail Works to Impact Canberra Today

Significant Delays Predicted as Multicultural Festival and Roadworks Converge

Commuters and festival-goers should prepare for substantial disruptions across the Canberra CBD and major arterial roads today, Saturday, 7 February 2026. The combination of the National Multicultural Festival, ongoing Light Rail Stage 2A construction, and the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge renewal project will create complex traffic conditions throughout the weekend.

National Multicultural Festival Road Closures

The city centre is the hub of activity today as the National Multicultural Festival enters its second day. Significant road closures are in place around Glebe Park and the City West precinct. Motorists are advised to avoid the following areas if they are not attending the event:

• London Circuit West: This remains fully closed between Northbourne Avenue and Edinburgh Avenue for light rail utility and track works.
• City Intersections: Expect rolling closures and heavy pedestrian traffic near Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue.
• Bus Diversions: Routes 54 and 55 are operating on diverted paths due to festival closures. While no stops are currently missed, delays are highly likely.

Commonwealth Avenue and Bridge Impacts

Major construction continues on the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Renewal project. Traffic on the bridge is limited, and significant delays are expected in both directions. Lane closures are active on Commonwealth Avenue between Parkes Way Bridge and Commonwealth Bridge. Northbound traffic on Northbourne Avenue has also been reduced to two lanes between Alinga Street and Vernon Circle, adding to the congestion for those entering the city from the north.

Public Transport: Free Fares and Extra Services

To help manage the influx of visitors, Transport Canberra is offering free public transport this evening. Commuters can enjoy fare-free travel on all buses and light rail services from 6:00 pm until the final service tonight. Passengers must still tap on and off using their MyWay+ cards or devices, but a $0 fare will be recorded.

Additional bus services are scheduled to run between 12:00 pm and midnight from major interchanges in Tuggeranong, Woden, and Belconnen to the City Interchange to accommodate the festival crowds.

Suburban Traffic Alerts

Outside of the city centre, several other projects are impacting weekend travel:

• Gundaroo Drive: Speed limits have been reduced from 80 km/h to 60 km/h near the intersections of Chuculba Crescent and Baldwin Drive due to entry feature construction.
• Monaro Highway: Northbound traffic remains switched to the eastern side of the new Dog Trap Creek Bridge in Hume. Please follow the clearly marked detours near Lanyon Drive.
• Athllon Drive: Utility works continue between Drakeford Drive and Vosper Street, with a temporary 40 km/h speed limit in effect.