Coppins Crossing Closure and 2026 Bus Network Delays This Thursday

Road Closures: Coppins Crossing Impact

Canberra commuters should prepare for a significant disruption in the Molonglo Valley today. Coppins Crossing Road will be fully closed in both directions between Holborow Avenue and Hazel Hawke Avenue from 2:00 am to 3:00 pm this Thursday, 5 February 2026. This closure is essential to allow for a major concrete pour on the recently installed precast deck slabs at the Molonglo River Bridge. To assist families and residents, the road is scheduled to reopen by 3:00 pm to support school pick-up activity and afternoon traffic.

• Southbound Detour: Motorists traveling from Belconnen should take William Hovell Drive to the off-ramp for Parkes Way and merge onto the Tuggeranong Parkway.
• Northbound Detour: Drivers from the Molonglo Valley should use John Gorton Drive, turn onto Cotter Road, and follow the ramp onto the Tuggeranong Parkway, exiting at the Glenloch interchange to merge onto William Hovell Drive.

City and Major Arteries

Major infrastructure projects continue to impact the central Canberra commute. Work on Light Rail Stage 2A and the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge renewal project is now in a high-impact phase. Along Commonwealth Avenue and Parkes Way, motorists should expect intermittent lane closures and reduced speed limits throughout the day. The western side of London Circuit remains closed to regular traffic for the duration of the light rail extension construction.

In the south, motorists on the Monaro Highway should note that northbound traffic has been switched to the eastern side of the new Dog Trap Creek Bridge, located north of the Lanyon Drive intersection in Hume. While two lanes are maintained during peak periods, commuters should stay alert to the new traffic flow. Additionally, utility works on Athllon Drive have resulted in a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h between Drakeford Drive and Vosper Street.

Public Transport: The 2026 Bus Network

Today marks the first Thursday of the newly launched "2026 Bus Network," which was implemented earlier this week to mitigate delays caused by the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge renewal. Transport Canberra warns that travel times on southbound routes during the morning peak may increase by approximately 13 minutes, and up to 7 minutes during the afternoon peak. While Rapid services continue to run every 15 minutes, some local routes have been adjusted to ensure overall network reliability.

• City Interchange: Please check your platform assignments, as several routes were permanently shifted on Monday to accommodate construction within the city center.
• Light Rail: Services are operating at normal frequencies; however, commuters should follow all wayfinding signage near the Alinga Street and Northbourne Avenue intersections due to ongoing track integration works.

Commuter Advice

With school back in session and several major bridge projects underway simultaneously, traffic volumes are significantly higher than last month. We recommend allowing at least an extra 15 to 20 minutes for your journey, particularly if your commute crosses the Molonglo River or passes through the National Triangle.