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This was published 9 years ago
Road closures and bus changes planned for National Multicultural Festival
By Tom McIlroy
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As many as 250,000 people are expected to converge on the city for the weekend's National Multicultural Festival events and the ACT government has warned drivers and public transport users to expect changes.
The festival and associated Fringe program will run from Friday evening until Sunday, February 15. Events will take place in and around Garema Place, Ainslie Avenue, Petrie Plaza, Akuna Street, Alinga Street, Civic Square and East Row.
Crowds at last year's National Multicultural Festival.Credit: Elesa Kurtz
Some road closures will be in place from midnight on Wednesday and services to the City Bus Station will be altered from Thursday morning.
Barriers, warning and diversion signs will be in place around the closures to explain the changes.
A Territory and Municipal Services Directorate spokesman said Alinga Street, between Northbourne Avenue and East Row, would be closed from Wednesday night, along with East Row, between London Circuit and Mort Street, and Mort Street, between Bunda Street and City Walk.
The closures would remain in place until midnight Monday, February 16.
From Friday morning, Ainslie Place, at the intersection with London Circuit, will be closed, along with Riverside Lane, at the intersection with Ainslie Place, and the car park at the corner of London Circuit and Commonwealth Avenue.
Also from Friday morning, London Circuit will be closed, between Akuna Street and Northbourne Avenue, as well as Verity Lane, at the intersection with London Circuit, Hillside Lane, at the intersection with Akuna Street, and Bible Lane, at the intersection with Bunda Street.
The car park at the rear of Baileys Corner will also be closed during the same period.
Most road closures around central Canberra will have ended by 9pm on Sunday, February 15.
All ACTION and Q-City bus services using the City Bus Station platforms 1-9 will temporarily relocate to other stops in the city from the first service Thursday until the last service Monday, February 16.
ACTION chief operating officer Bren Burkevics said bus services would not stop in the eastern section of London Circuit during the period because of road closures associated with the event.
"ACTION and Q-City services that use the City Bus Station platforms 1 to 9 will temporarily relocate to alternative bus platforms on Northbourne Avenue, Alinga Street and Marcus Clarke Street to allow the National Multicultural Festival to use this fantastic location in the heart of Canberra's city," he said.
"Alternative arrangements for City Bus Station services have been made, including the establishment of three new platforms as well as some services using the Canberra Centre stop on Cooyong Street.
Temporary platforms will be in place on the western section of Alinga Street, near Canberra House and the Health building and on Marcus Clarke Street before Rimmer Street.
Services to platforms 10 and 11 will continue as normal, including all 300s blue rapid routes and Xpresso services. There are no changes to Marcus Clarke Street and platform 14 services or Cooyong Street services at the Canberra Centre.
Signs and announcements will be in place and staff will assist passengers.
Mr Burkevics said the ACTION website and NXTBUS application would reflect the changes.
Australian group Justice Crew and British funk and soul performer Z-Star are among the headline acts for the 2015 festival. In 2014, more than 250,000 people attended the event, down from 260,00 in 2012.