Coppins Crossing is closed – and it will be for another two weeks, much to the frustration of locals. Photo: Facebook.
Frustrated Molonglo Valley locals have been warned they are likely to face another two weeks of closures at the low-level Coppins Crossing across the Molonglo River.
It follows recent heavy rain washing debris onto the road and the guard rail being almost entirely washed away.
The bridge has now been closed since Friday, 5 August.
According to the operator of the Is Coppins Crossing Open site, Andrew*, it’s at least the 12th time the crossing has been closed in the last two years.
And while even Andrew concedes that it is a somewhat “first-world problem”, closing the crossing means an additional 20 minutes added to the morning and evening commute of the 6000 or so motorists who cross the river frequently.
Debris has been washed onto the low-level crossing. Photo: Facebook.
For families who live in Whitlam and have children who attend the school they are zoned for in Denman Prospect on the other side of the river, the five-minute drive is now at least 20 minutes. Construction traffic flowing through from Belconnen to the growing suburbs in the Molonglo Valley is also delayed, and it’s difficult for Molonglo residents to get to Belconnen which is where many do their groceries and access services.
And Andrew has already seen some vehicles doing what he notes coin the mmuters love to do – simply moving the barriers at either end of the crossing so they can drive through anyway.
VIDEO: A truck is surprised by the closed road and smokes their tyres. More signage is needed before there's an accident. pic.twitter.com/WfRSuBK34k
— Is Coppins Crossing Open? (@CoppinsCrossing) August 14, 2022
Andrew has previously raised concerns about inadequate signage in the area, which means commuters don’t know the road is closed until they are down at the crossing.
Earlier this year, that led to the government installing some additional neon signage. But Andrew noted some of that has been taken away, and he’d like to see it back.
Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) is currently procuring a contractor to come in and clear the debris from the crossing and reinstall the barriers that have washed away.
Executive branch manager infrastructure delivery at TCCS Jeremy Smith said this work can’t be completed until water levels have receded, which likely won’t be for another two weeks.
Mr Smith told ABC Radio on Monday morning (15 August) that water was being released from Lake Burley Griffin via Scrivener Dam and this was leading to higher water levels and higher pressure on the river than usual.
But Andrew disputes this fact. His data – which he’s taken from the Bureau of Meteorology – shows the water level has now returned to normal for some time.
.@TCCS_ACT on @ABCcanberra radio claims that there's been "quite a bit of water coming down river" preventing the cleanup starting. That's demonstrably FALSE, the river level has been well below bridge level (<1m) for almost a week. #GetToWork at #CoppinsCrossing pic.twitter.com/PAVdLTM7Qg
— Is Coppins Crossing Open? (@CoppinsCrossing) August 14, 2022
He has also questioned why the government doesn’t have its own employees available to quickly come in and remediate the crossing to make it safe and functional.
“It’s really disappointing … Overall, this just highlights the fact there is no plan to deal with and manage flooding.”
Change is on the way, with a $175 million four-lane bridge expected to be completed and open to traffic by the end of 2025.
However, TCCS has already warned there could be delays to this timeline given worldwide materials shortages and supply chain issues.
Once completed, the new bridge will span 227.5 metres over the river and will be built above the level of a one-in-a-hundred-year flood in the Molonglo River.
An artist’s impression of what the completed bridge will look like. Image: Supplied.
The project is being jointly funded by the Commonwealth and ACT governments.
A tender for design and construction closed two months ago and the government says it is currently evaluating the responses.
It’s expected that work will begin next year.
*Last name withheld upon request.
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