Acton Tunnel

Acton Tunnel is a short road tunnel in Acton, Australian Capital Territory which opened in 1979. It carries the dual carriageway Parkes Way under a hill. The tunnel also comprises two upper levels, which have been used as an archival repository and car park by the Australian National University (ANU).

Acton Tunnel
The eastern entrance to the Acton Tunnel
Overview
Coordinates
RouteParkes Way
Operation
Opened17 October 1979
TrafficRoad

History

The Acton Tunnel was first proposed in the 1960s as part of long-term planning for Canberra's road network. It was to form part of an extension of Parkes Way to Queanbeyan via Canberra Airport. The tunnel would also form part of the construction of what became the Tuggeranong Parkway, which provided a link between the Woden Valley and Civic.[1]

The entrance to the upper levels of the tunnel in 2012

The construction of the Acton Tunnel formed part of a major upgrade to Canberra's roads. This comprised the construction of a new highway segment which connected the Tuggeranong Parkway to Parkes Way and Caswell Drive. The upgrade also comprised the Glenloch Interchange and Lakeside Interchange. Construction of this new network began in 1976.[2] The Acton Tunnel and other elements of the new roads opened on 17 October 1979.[3] The tunnel cost $A7 million to build.[4]

The tunnel comprises three levels. The lowest level carries Parkes Way, and is about 5 metres (16 ft) high.[5] The two upper levels were originally designed to be used as a car park for 300 vehicles by the ANU. The University contributed $A200,000 to the tunnel's construction for this purpose.[4] By the time the tunnel opened, the ANU had decided to use this space to store elements of its archives of business and labour in Australia. As these records had a higher structural load than cars, only half of the facility could be used for this purpose.[4] The archives, which was named the Noel Butlin Archives Centre, opened in 1981.[6] As of 2019, part of the facility was being used as a parking station.[7]

In September 1980 a section of the roof of the tunnel at the eastern end of the west-bound lanes was found to be sagging and required immediate repairs.[8] A member of the ACT Legislative Assembly attributed this issue to faults with the tunnel's design and inadequate supervision of its construction by the National Capital Development Commission.[9]

A truck carrying an excavator collided with the roof of the Acton Tunnel on 20 October 2015. This accident damaged around 60 metres (200 ft) of the tunnel's roof.[10] Repairs to the tunnel were completed on 22 October 2016, with the cost of the work having been covered by insurance.[5] The truck driver was fined $3,000 for exceeding the tunnel's height limit, and was reported to have retained his job.[11]

See also

References
  1. "The Growth of Canberra: New system of roads urged on Capital Hill". The Canberra Times. 21 September 1966. p. 10. Retrieved 29 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "Finished after three years". The Canberra Times. 11 October 1979. p. 9. Retrieved 29 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "New arterial road today". The Canberra Times. 17 October 1979. p. 3. Retrieved 29 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Tunnel roof to house papers". The Canberra Times. 10 October 1979. p. 3. Retrieved 29 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. Raggatt, Matthew (28 October 2018). "Acton Tunnel complete, 368 days after crash, but still no height sign". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  6. Thorpe, Clarissa (6 January 2014). "Hidden Canberra archives reveals its historic treasures". ABC News. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  7. "ANU Parking Stations" (PDF). Australian National University. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  8. "Sagging ceiling". The Canberra Times. 3 September 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 29 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "NCDC 'to blame' for Acton tunnel trouble". The Canberra Times. 8 September 1980. p. 7. Retrieved 29 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Truck carrying excavator smashes into tunnel roof on Parkes Way in Canberra". ABC News. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  11. Lowrey, Tom (11 August 2016). "Truck driver fined $3,000 over Acton Tunnel crash". ABC News. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
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