In Tramalot Castle, mum’s the word on the tram plans to Woden, but the NCA is happy to share the news. It’s “Seven Days” with IAN MEIKLE.

THE tram will roll across Lake Burley Griffin on its own new bridge, wedged in the vacant space between the twin spans of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge. 

It’s all done and it’s all dusted. Nothing’s approved by the way, but everything, it seems, is agreed. 

How do I know? Certainly, not because anyone in the smug ACT government, holed up in Tramalot Castle on London Circuit, will tell you. It’s because the National Capital Authority says so. 

Over recent days the NCA has told us more than the secretive government spinners have. 

To repeat, there is no formal approval to drag the 2b section of light rail over the lake on its slow, 19th century-inspired wander to Woden. 

In announcing a handsome $137 million refurb of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, NCA chief Sally Barnes gave us the usual blah-blah.. “working collaboratively”… “major projects along Commonwealth Avenue”… “future light rail works”…

Whoa, what’s that, Sal: “Future light rail works”? 

Well, yes, absolutely. Her bridge renewal project director Greg Tallentire came on to 2CC’s “CityNews Sunday Roast” program to share details of the bridge renewal. A job, he said, that won’t see a ribbon cut this side of mid-2025. 

“It’s a significant bridge,” said Greg. “The bridge itself is not heritage listed but it sits within the lake heritage and adjacent lands.” 

So you can’t mess with it, I asked him.

“We’re looking to maintain what’s described as a slimline bridge. It’s one of the most elegant bridges… in Australia and so we’re making sure that we can maintain that feel and look while still maintaining an update to the bridge.” 

But what about the ACT government’s work pumping up London Circuit?

“We’re quite aware of those projects and we’re maintaining constant contact with those projects to make sure that what we’re doing is not going against their project… When they’ve got closure of the bridge, we’ll make sure that we’re co-ordinating with them if we need to.” 

So, they’re coming over the bridge? Are you strengthening the bridge to take the tram?

“The strengthening for this project is completely separate. When we looked at this project even bringing the strength up to where we needed to be wouldn’t still be enough to carry the light rail. So they’ll have their own separate bridge [and there it is]. 

“And we’re space-saving the centre sections of the bridge for that project [and that’s where it will be].”

There’s a decision on that, asked my co-host Rod Henshaw.

“No decision has been made.” Then a quick seque to London Circuit. “You were talking in terms of disruption, when we look at London Circuit, that’s kicking off in earnest later this year. We’re expecting that as that project, as we know it, starts to wrap up, we’ll be getting into our works on the bridges.”

So how long are you going to be?

“Construction at the moment is marked, for what we know, from late 2023 for 12 to 18 months. So, somewhere around mid 2025.”

Right, let’s start counting on our fingers: London Circuit is being mangled from now until late 2023. Traffic misery coming into Civic from the south. The NCA starts strengthening the 60-year-old bridge (cars are heavier than they used to be and the shared paths need to be widened) until mid-2025. The bridge will stay open but, at times, down to a lane or two in either direction. More misery. Then, presumably, mid-2025, the new bridge construction will start on Commonwealth Avenue until when and how much? Hello? Anybody? Paging Tramalot Castle. 

Then-PM Bob Menzies in 1963 described it as “the finest building in the national capital”. Will the bridge look the same? So, no pressure, Greg: “Pretty much. When you have a ’60s house and you do a renovation, you know you’re never going to find that brick and the exact colours… but it’s a heritage item in terms of where it sits in the lake so we’re quite confident that we’re making sure it pays respect to its area and history.”

MY Campbell snout reports that a few weeks ago, an Icon Water team was working in a suburban street. Break time, they stopped and, as you do, parked the bulldozer on the footpath.

“Both you and I know that if a private vehicle was parked on the footpath like this, a fine would have been issued,” she writes. 

“Ironically, only a few days later, my neighbour – who had parked on the footpath – outside his home, was the unlucky recipient of such a fine.” 

She wonders why isn’t Icon fined (Access Canberra, see photo)? And, surely, the company realises what happens when you park a bulldozer on a footpath – it blocks the path and damages the surface. Not very Iconic. 

 Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard with Rod Henshaw on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” news and interview program, 2CC, 9am-noon. There are more of his columns on citynews.com.au