Northbourne Avenue

Northbourne Avenue

Looking north along Northbourne Avenue, viewed from the top floor of Civic Quarter 2
Map
Northbourne Avenue is located in Australian Capital Territory
Northbourne Avenue
Northbourne Avenue
Coordinates
General information
TypeHighway
Length4.52 km (2.8 mi)
Gazetted20 September 1928
Route number(s) A23 (2013–present)
Former
route number
  • National Route 23 (1955–2013)
    (Entire route)
  • ACT Tourist Drive 1
    (through Civic)
  • ACT Tourist Drive 2
    (Civic–Turner)
  • ACT Tourist Drive 4
    (through Lyneham)
  • ACT Tourist Drive 7
    (Civic–Turner)
Major junctions
South end Vernon Circle
Civic, Australian Capital Territory
 
North end Federal Highway
Lyneham, Australian Capital Territory
Location(s)
Major suburbsCivic, Braddon, Turner, Dickson, Lyneham, Downer
Highway system
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Northbourne Avenue is a major road in Canberra, Australia. It extends from City Hill in the south, to the Federal Highway in the north.

Sydney and Melbourne buildings, City, either side of Northbourne Avenue in 1929. Commenced building 1920s and completed 1946; for many years the only commercial buildings in the city.

It is a north–south running road which has three lanes for motorised traffic, and one lane for bicycles running in each direction, with a large median strip containing a light railway line between rows of trees. The speed limit is 60 km/h north of Barry Drive. Civic contains a 40 km/h zone with multiple fixed red light/speed cameras and mobile speed cameras operating along the entire length of the road.

Northbourne Avenue is the dividing line between the suburbs of Turner and Lyneham on the west, with the suburbs of Braddon, Dickson and Downer on the east.

Aerial view of Northbourne Avenue looking north from Civic. City Hill is in the foreground.

Many ACTION buses travelling between City and Dickson, Gungahlin or Belconnen used the road, which had many bus stops along it until the light rail line along the median strip opened in April 2019.[1]

Northbourne Avenue was planted with Eucalyptus elata (river peppermint gums) between 1983 and 1986, the third generation of Eucalyptus on the road.[2] The previous generation was Corymbia maculata (spotted gums). The river peppermint gums were cleared for Capital Metro and replanted with Eucalyptus mannifera (brittle gums).[3]

  1. ^ "Routes and Stops". Transport Canberra. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  2. ^ "First Northbourne tree removals costing $32,000". The Canberra Times. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Transport Canberra. Retrieved 4 February 2017.