Dunns Creek Road
- Project typeCapital works
- Project valueEstimated to be $200 million - to be confirmed
- Project scheduleBy 2041
With significant population growth to occur in Queanbeyan over the coming years, Council has undertaken extensive planning to ensure the city's road network is capable of coping with the increased population. While the key piece of infrastructure required to keep Queanbeyan's road network functioning is the Ellerton Drive Extension, the proposed Dunns Creek Rd has also been identified as a useful inclusion to the traffic network. The Googong and Tralee Traffic Study (2031) and the updated plan from 2014 both showed that Dunns Creek Rd would be a useful inclusion, however construction would not be required until at least 2041, provided development continues at the predicted rate.
Where is Dunns Creek Rd?
Dunns Creek Rd would link Googong, from the Old Cooma Rd and Googong Rd intersection, to the South Tralee development, with a further connection into the Monaro Highway. Council adopted this preferred route at its 23 September 2015 Council meeting.
What has been done so far?
Several studies on the corridor, alignment, cost estimates, ecological and heritage constraints have been undertaken since 2007. In 2012, Council received $4m to undertaken road planning and environmental work on a number of road projects in the Local Government Area. Council allocated $300,000 towards the determination of a corridor for the road, concept design work and a broad assessment of the environmental impact of the road, potential offsets and potential land acquisitions. This work has resulted in the preparation by Council of the Dunns Creek Road Alignment Investigation and Cost Review July 2015. This report includes the Dunns Creek Road Corridor Study and Alignment Planning Preliminary Design Update for Preferred Options July 2015 prepared by GHD - both downloadable below.
Current work
The concept design adopted the following design criteria:
a) 80km/h speed
b) Maximum 9% grade
c) 3.5m lane widths
d) 2.5m shoulder widths
e) 1.0m verge
f) 2.5m off-road shared path
g) 3.0m drain
h) 6.0m wide median for a road corridor to accommodate a four-lane dual carriageway
The work found that the alignment would have:
a) Maximum cut of 14.98m
b) Maximum fill of 12.38m
c) Bridge length of 530m
The cost estimate for the alignment from Sheppard Street, around South Tralee to Googong Road is as follows:
a) P50 estimate $200M (including 39% contingency)
b) P90 estimate $228M (including 58% contingency)
These estimates do not include the purchase of offset land. These estimates are for a two-lane single carriageway with climbing lanes.
Dunns Creek Road will affect land zoned E2 and E3, dissect regional and local biolinks, cross a riparian corridor, remove endangered ecological communities and habitat for threatened species and would require a Species Impact Statement and offsets. It would also affect a potential archaeological deposit (PAD).
Googong area traffic preference survey
In July 2015, Council engaged Micromex Research to undertake a survey of residents living in Googong, Fernleigh Park, Royalla, Burra and Mt Campbell regarding their travel patterns and preference from the proposed Ellerton Drive Extension or Dunns Creek Rd routes. In total, Micromex recorded 306 competed surveys which was a completion rate of 39%.
The survey found that the Monaro Highway and Cooma Street (north of Southbar Road) are the most frequently used thoroughfares during peak periods and through the day. It was also found that residents didn’t appear to choose one main route and travelled on many road combinations.
51% of residents in the study area preferred Dunns Creek Road. These residents are primarily those using current south-westerly routes and see Dunns Creek Road as an easier way to get to Canberra/South Canberra/Monaro Highway. 40% of residents in the study area preferred Ellerton Drive Extension. These residents were users of current north-easterly routes and see Ellerton Drive Extension as an alternative way to get around Queanbeyan.
The findings of the survey support the behavioural assumptions made by Council’s Traffic Plan.
Download the Googong area traffic preference survey(PDF, 849KB).