5 July 2020

Plans lodged for hospital car park on old CIT site

| Ian Bushnell
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Works on the site

Work is continuing on the site to prepare it for construction. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

Canberra Health Services has lodged plans for a temporary 1100 space staff car park on the site of the former Woden CIT to service the Canberra Hospital while it undergoes major infrastructure works over the next four years.

The secure $3.78 million surface facility will plug parking gaps created by the future upgrade of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children and the construction of the $500 million SPIRE project.

The site on the corner of Hindmarsh Drive and Ainsworth Street in Phillip (Block 17 Section 1) has now been cleared and contaminated soil around the former buildings’ footings will be removed over the next few months.

The works will include asphalt surfacing, street lighting, and the construction of boom gates at three existing driveways.

The fenced site will also include a single-storey guardhouse and communications and CCTV facilities to ensure the safety of hospital staff, many of whom work at night, and their vehicles.

There will also be a bus shelter as a shuttle bus service will take users to the hospital campus.

Traffic Control Devices will be implemented in Ainsworth Street to deal with the additional traffic flow entering the temporary car park, as well as extra line marking.

The plans propose that two ”poor quality” regulated trees be removed for kerb layout of the car park but trees to be retained on site will be protected and maintained during the works.

Car park site

The car park is a short walk or shuttle bus ride to the Canberra Hospital campus. Image: Indesco.

The project is on track to be completed by October 2020.

Woden Valley Community Council had pleaded for the CIT buildings to be repurposed but Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said earlier this year that friable asbestos had been found and demolition had been recommended as the best option.

She said the Government would work with the community to consider options for future use of the site after SPIRE was completed.

The government says the new surface car park’s more than 1100 additional parking spaces will benefit hospital staff, visitors and construction workers while the new emergency, surgical and critical healthcare facility and other projects are being constructed.

It is expected to open before the main SPIRE works start next year. The SPIRE project is due to be completed in 2024.

“We will continue to investigate long-term parking solutions at the Canberra Hospital campus as part of the Master Planning process. Input from hospital staff, consumers and local residents will be an important part of this process,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.

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