Major Northbound Closure on Commonwealth Avenue Starting Tonight

Major Northbound Closure on Commonwealth Avenue Starting Tonight

Canberra commuters are advised to plan ahead for a challenging evening on Thursday, 12 February 2026, as major infrastructure projects trigger significant road closures across the city. While the morning rush hour is expected to remain largely unaffected, several key routes will face heavy restrictions starting from the evening peak to accommodate the next phase of the light rail and bridge renewal works.

Commonwealth Avenue and Light Rail Stage 2A

The most significant disruption begins tonight at 8:00 pm. Commonwealth Avenue will be fully closed northbound between Parkes Way and Vernon Circle. This closure is scheduled to remain in place until 6:00 am on Monday, 16 February, to facilitate critical bridge deck construction for the Light Rail Stage 2A project. Northbound motorists will be detoured via the Parkes Way on-ramp, Lawson Crescent exit, Edinburgh Avenue, and Vernon Circle.

Southbound traffic will also be impacted. Although the southbound lanes generally remain open during the day, they will be reduced to a single lane tonight starting from 8:00 pm. Additionally, pedestrians and cyclists face a total closure of paths in both directions between the Parkes Way ramps and Vernon Circle from 8:00 pm tonight until 5:00 am Friday morning. Detours for active travel users will be clearly signposted through the Acton overpass area.

Highway Maintenance and Resurfacing

Beyond the city centre, several major arteries will undergo essential maintenance throughout the day and into the night:

• Monaro Highway: Expect lane closures between Royalla Solar Farm and Johnson Drive from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm for road resealing. Speed limits remain reduced near Hume for the ongoing Lanyon Drive flyover construction, where girders are currently being positioned.
• Tuggeranong Parkway: A full northbound closure will be in place between Sulwood Drive and Hindmarsh Drive from 8:00 pm tonight until 6:00 am tomorrow morning for asphalt resurfacing. Detours will be in effect via local arterial roads.
• Barton Highway: Night works for asphalt patching will result in lane closures between Bellenden Street and Gundaroo Drive (westbound) from 8:00 pm until 7:00 am.

Public Transport Alerts

Transport Canberra has confirmed that major bus diversions will commence at 8:00 pm tonight for services normally traversing Commonwealth Avenue and London Circuit. These diversions are expected to remain in effect through to early March. Passengers using the updated 2026 bus network should check the MyWay+ app or the Transport Canberra journey planner, as several stops in the city may be temporarily relocated or bypassed during the construction window. While light rail frequencies remain unchanged, increased congestion on detour routes may impact bus arrival times during the evening transition.

Suburban Roadworks

In Ngunnawal, resealing works will continue on Cubillo Crescent and Mawalan Street with lane closures between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm, while Paul Coe Crescent will see similar restrictions between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm. Local motorists should allow an extra 10 minutes for their commute in these areas.