ROADS AND LICENCES
Roads
Management of the planning, creation, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement of roads and road related infrastructure within the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the responsibility of Roads ACT, a section of the ACT Department of Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS).
In March 2007, there were approximately 2,730 km of roads in the ACT. The majority of roads in the ACT are classed as Municipal roads, with 69% (1,880 km) classed as such.
14.1 Categories of road, ACT - at 31 March 2007 |
|  |
| Road length | Lane length | Road area | |
| km | km | '000 m2 | |
| |
| National highways | 20 | 80 | 288 | |
| Territorial roads | 830 | 2 200 | 8 167 | |
| Municipal roads | 1 880 | 3 700 | 13 000 | |
| Total | 2 730 | 5 980 | 21 455 | |
| |
| ACT Department of Territory and Municipal Services, Roads ACT, 2007, data available on request. |
Roundabouts and traffic signals
In March 2007, there were 235 roundabouts in the ACT and 243 traffic signals. The majority of these signals were at road intersections (212, or 87%) and the remainder were at mid-block pedestrian crossings (31, or 13%).
Gungahlin Drive Extension
Construction is currently underway on the first section (Package A) of the Gungahlin Drive Extension from the Barton Highway to Aranda, the largest roadworks contract to be awarded in the ACT. The 2.3 km section of the road from the Barton Highway to Ginninderra Drive was opened to traffic in December 2006 and the 2.8 km section from Ginninderra Drive to Belconnen Way was opened to traffic in May 2007. The complete Gungahlin Drive Extension is scheduled for completion in mid-2008.
When all construction packages are complete, the Gungahlin Drive Extension will be a 9 km arterial road linking the Barton Highway to the Tuggeranong Parkway at Glenloch Interchange. It will include five bridges and five underpass structures.
Licences
At 2 January 2007, there were 287,048 current and active driver's licences in the ACT, and 6,321 suspended licences. The majority of active licences (241,810, or 84%) were classified as Full licences. A further 17,789 (6%) were Provisional licences, 13,937 (5%) were National heavy vehicle licences and 12,174 (4%) were classified as Learner licences. Together, Probationary licences and Restricted licences accounted for less than 1% of total current ACT driver's licences.
Of the 12,174 Learner licences, the majority (9,541, or 78%) were for cars and the remainder were for motorcycles (2,633, or 22%).
14.2 ACT driver's licence distribution - at 2 January |
| |
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| no. | no. | no. | |
| |
| Learner licences | 11 856 | 11 499 | 12 174 | |
| Provisional licences | 17 686 | 18 155 | 17 789 | |
| Full licences | 232 927 | 237 301 | 241 810 | |
| National heavy vehicle licences | 14 364 | 14 220 | 13 937 | |
| Probationary licences | 1 158 | 1 041 | 1 147 | |
| Restricted licences | 192 | 147 | 191 | |
| Total | 278 183 | 282 363 | 287 048 | |
| |
| ACT Department of Territory and Municipal Services, Road Transport Authority, data available on request. |
