The ANU administration is still struggling to find solutions to increased traffic on campus as further major building works begin.
The changes in foot traffic caused by the Reunion Court demolition process, combined with the commencement of work on the Pauline Griffin Building, is causing safety hazards for students and staff.
The two projects are occurring parallel to each other, following nearly a year of delays for the demolition of the Pauline Griffin Building to make way for new staff facilities.
Tradesmen working on the Pauline Griffin Building rely heavily on Ellery Crescent as their only access to the site.
However the street is now the main thoroughfare for students and staff crossing Sullivan’s Creek to reach the Pop Up Village, Llewellyn Hall and Civic.
The street is currently congested with trucks of materials, students, bicycles and the cars which use the five-storey carpark opposite the site. Pedestrian paths on one side have been blocked with scaffolding.
The deputy vice-chancellor, Marnie Hughes-Warrington, acknowledged the traffic was a cause for concern at an update forum for the projects.
‘We haven’t solved it yet but we’re aware of the problem,’ she said.
Hughes-Warrington said the street would be narrowed to traffic, and traffic controllers employed to maintain safety.
Vendors at the Pop Up Village have been asked to limit deliveries to off- peak times, slowing down the move-in process for new vendors such as Lazy Su and Chicken Tikka.
Hughes-Warrington also said that discussions were being had on how to reduce the speed of bicycles on the street, suggesting it was a key area of safety concern.
Ultimately both Hughes-Warrington and the director of major projects, Robert Hitchcock, conceded a solution had not been identified.
The Ellery Crescent issues point to wider concerns among the community about the impact of construction on the ANU campus.
It was confirmed in April 2018 there will be 500 construction workers on the Reunion Court site for the building of several ‘superstructures,’ such as the new student hub.
There is a temporary traffic management plan in place, and Hitchcock confirmed that in the process of appointing tenders to the project, contractors ‘would be encouraged to park offsite’. Upon completion of the project, new loop roads will lead to the new precinct to provide supplies to vendors.
Completion is due in December 2018.
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Woroni, Woroni Radio and Woroni TV are created, edited, published, printed and distributed. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We acknowledge that the name Woroni was taken from the Wadi Wadi Nation without permission, and we are striving to do better for future reconciliation.