Traffic lights and a three-metre-wide shared bike path will be installed on Sulwood Drive, making it safer for traffic to turn and pedestrians to get across the busy road to Mount Taylor.
A dedicated right-hand lane for westbound traffic to get into the Mount Taylor car park will also be constructed.
But no start or finish date has been given by the ACT government, which will instead be seeking feedback on the proposed designs of the traffic measures. The community has been agitating for a safer intersection for at least four years.
The traffic lights will be installed at the intersection of Mannheim Street and Sulwood Drive.
The three-metre-wide shared path will be built along 4km on the southern side of Sulwood Drive, linking Athllon and Drakeford drives.
The bike path was a promise from local Labor candidates in the 2019 federal election.
Transport Minister Chris Steele said the government had ruled out a four-way roundabout at the intersection of Sulwood Drive and Mannheim Street, "as it would cut into the car park and wouldn't support safe pedestrian crossings of the 80km/h road".
"There are currently no safe spots to cross Sulwood Drive for pedestrians and cyclists wanting to access Mount Taylor for exercise and recreation," Mr Steel said
"A traffic light intersection is the safest solution for pedestrians and cyclists crossing Sulwood Drive and Mannheim Street, and would provider and safer right turning movements out of Mannheim Street for vehicles.
"The design proposed also supports safer turning movements into the Mount Taylor car park with a new dedicated right hand turning lane for westbound traffic on Sulwood Drive."
The government upgraded the Mount Taylor carpark in 2018 but did not provide a right-hand turn then.
Mr Steele said the project team would be at the Mount Taylor Nature Reserve in the car park off Sulwood Drive from 9am to 11am on Saturday, June 19, to talk to local residents and visitors to Mount Taylor.
"Over the coming weeks the ACT government will be engaging with the southside community on the plans to get their feedback on the proposed safety improvements," he said
"I encourage people who live in the area and those who regularly visit the Mount Taylor Nature Reserve to take a look at what is being proposed and share your feedback."
A spokesperson said once the designs were finalised, the project would be "shovel-ready".
Local resident Taryn Langdon was among many who have been raising concerns about pedestrian and traffic safety in the area since 2017. She welcomed news of the latest upgrades including traffic lights.
"I think it's a positive outcome for the community. I think it goes above and beyond what the community might have expected," she said.
"And certainly it's the end of a long journey where the community brought it to the former minister four years ago, but people have been raising issues about the safety of that intersection and that area, in general, for many years.
"I think people will relieved the minister has kept chipping away, making the improvements that he has and culminating in what seems to be a proper fix for the space."
Ms Langdon said some people had given up trying to walk across Sulwood Drive to get to the popular Mount Taylor reserve.
"There are a lot of older people who like to walk up on the ridge who have started not going up there just because of that crossing," she said.
"I think it delivers a great solution that would appear to deliver everyone's needs.
"The through traffic might have a few different views. But I think what's most important at the end of the day, is we improve community safety and we improve access to our beautiful nature park."
The new measures come after the government last year announced a feasibility study into possible improvements.
More details about the plans are at yoursay.act.gov.au
