Work to strengthen the Commonwealth Avenue bridge has been delayed with no clear timeline of when construction will start.
As legal bills soar into the millions, any significant delay will imperil the ACT government's plans to construct the light rail extension to Woden, with the federal government's independent infrastructure advisor warning that strengthening the existing bridge must finish before work can begin on the new light-rail bridge.
Buried in a footnote in the National Capital Authority's annual financial report is confirmation that the $137.5 million project to strengthen the 1960s-era bridge has been delayed, with funds allocated in the 2023-24 budget "undrawn". The same fate has befallen a project to upgrade Scrivener Dam.
Despite this, the project's webpage continues to indicate construction should have started in 2023.
The long-awaited project to strengthen the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge was first listed on Infrastructure Australia's priority list in September 2020.
The independent authority determined the bridge was already over capacity and needed work to address structural issues. The project's business case had a "strong strategic and economic case" and would deliver a net benefit to society, Infrastructure Australia found.
The project needs to be completed before work on the Light Rail Stage 2 bridge can start, a "risk" acknowledged in the Infrastructure Australia assessment.
"The proponent intends to complete the project prior to the commencement of the light rail project in order to avoid site conflicts."
While giving the project the green light, Infrastructure Australia questioned the National Capital Authority's capacity to deliver the project, noting that the NCA "generally does not deal with large-scale complex infrastructure projects" and the willingness of the market to deliver on the complex and specialist project.
Other bodies also raised queries about the project, including the parliamentary Public Works Committee, which suggested combining the bridge strengthening project with the light rail bridge project.
Ultimately, both bodies recommended the project should proceed and in October 2022, engineering and development consulting firm SMEC was awarded the contract to design the bridge.
Two years on, a head contractor is yet to be appointed and a timeline for when construction will commence is unclear.
In late 2023, the NCA went to market with an expression of interest for a head contractor to design and construct the bridge, however the outcome of that approach to market is unknown.
In the meantime, the authority is shelling out millions in legal fees. The NCA has two ongoing contracts for legal services in relation to the project, worth a combined $2.9 million.
One of the contracts has been significantly amended from when it was first published, rising in cost from $99,000 to $2.6 million.
The NCA also has a $2.7 million contract with a specialist infrastructure advisory firm for the project.
A spokesperson for the NCA did not provide a revised timeline for the project.
"The NCA remains committed to delivering these projects, with the timing of their procurement processes adjusted to support significant preparatory work before the call for tenders," the agency said in a statement.
"This included detailed design work, statutory environmental and heritage assessments, and extensive public and stakeholder consultation, ensuring these projects are ready for commencement on the appointment of head contractors, which will occur shortly."
Scrivener Dam also delayed
The Scrivener Dam, completed in 1963 - the same year as the Commonwealth Avenue bridge - also requires significant upgrades.
The project also received sign off from the Public Works Committee late last year, and a contract for the detailed design of the project was awarded to engineering firm GHD in 2022.
The project website indicates design work was meant to be completed in October 2023, and construction to commence this year.
Last month the contract for project design was extended to October 30, 2024 taking the contract cost to $15 million.
The NCA has also continued to shell out on legal services for the project. A contract with law firm Minter Ellison now costs $500,000, more than double the original estimate.
The NCA will hold a community forum on November 14, with the public invited to ask questions and shape the authority's future work after the Albanese government required the NCA to be more open and transparent about its plans for the capital.
