CONSTRUCTION of the Molonglo River bridge is expected to open to traffic by the end of 2025.

The expected open date was revealed after the ACT government announced today (October 1) that an expression of interest for the tender to design and construct the bridge has been released.

The construction of the Molonglo River Bridge, a jointly funded ACT and Commonwealth Government project worth $176.2 million, will include the completion of John Gorton Drive, which will see 1.7 kilometres of arterial road built, including the 227 metres of bridge spanning the Molonglo River.

In announcing the construction, Transport Minister Chris Steel said this is not just a bridge building project. New arterial roadways leading up to the bridge and new intersections will be constructed, providing access to the future Molonglo Commercial Centre and the suburb of Whitlam.

“In addition to these major infrastructure upgrades, the project also includes important active travel links with off-road shared paths and on-road cycle lanes to encourage more Canberrans to jump on a bike to get to their destination,” he said.

Mr Steel doesn’t predict any delays for this project, saying the approvals have been actioned with a Notice of Decision for the development application received in February 2021.

“These approvals will ensure we are able to commence construction works without delay after the detailed design is complete,” he said.

The detailed design phase is expected to commence in mid-2022 and take one year to complete with construction commencing soon after.