Road Photos & Information: Australian Capital Territory

Science and Nature Loop (Tourist Drive 5)

Statistics:

• Length: 78 km
• Roads That Form The Route: State Circle, Adelaide Avenue, Cotter Road, Paddys River Road, Tindbinbilla Road, Tharwa Drive, Monaro Highway and Canberra Avenue.
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Capital Hill, Deakin, Yarralumla, Curtin, Weston, Holder, Duffy, Tharwa, Gordon, Conder, Banks, Calwell, Theodore, Richardson, Gilmore, Hume, Symonston, Narrabundah, Fyshwick, Griffith, Kingston, Barton, and Forrest.

Route Numbering:

• Current:
• Multiplexed With:

General Information:

ACT Tourist Drive 5 is the Science and Nature loop, taking in attractions such as Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Deep Space Tracking Station, Cotter Dam, various nature parks and reserves, Lanyon Homestead, Cuppacumbalong and much more.

The route varies from freeway conditions along the Monaro Hwy and Adelaide Ave through to rural back roads along the southwestern part of the route, further away from urban areas.

History:

• 1895: Construction of Tharwa Bridge. The bridge opening ceremony took place on 27 March, 1895, a day which was declared a public holiday *
• 1930s: Construction commenced on State Circle around Capital Hill **
• 1960s: State Circle fully complete after being only three quarters built for several years **
• 1963: Commencement of Yarra Glen / Adelaide Avenue / Cotter Road interchange at Curtin ***
• 1988: Opening of Parliament House upon Capital Hill by HRH Queen Elizabeth II
• 2002: Cotter Road duplication from Streeton Drive to the Tuggeranong Parkway ****

Preview:	Description:
	Westbound on Adelaide Avenue: Distance sign near the Prime Minister's Residence at Deakin, July 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Hopetoun Circuit exit to Deakin & Yarralumla, July 2006 on Adelaide Avenue, Westbound. Image © Paul Rands
	Exit gore signage: Sign located at the Hopetoun Cct exit and also looking through the interchange, westbound at Deakin, July 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Kent & Novar Street Interchange: Looking west along Adelaide Avenue at Deakin towards the exit for Kent and Novar Streets, July 2006. The green lane on the left is the bicycle lane. Image © Paul Rands
	Black Directional Sign: Black ID sign located on the Kent and Novar Street interchange for westbound traffic exiting from Adelaide Avenue at Deakin, July 2006. This sign was probably erected when the interchange and Adelaide Avenue were both built in the 1960s as part of the Yarra Glen project. This eliminated an at-grade junction. Image © Paul Rands
	Tharwa Bridge, Tharwa: This photo from 1998 shows the wooden Tharwa Bridge as you enter the village of Tharwa in Southern Canberra. The bridge was built in 1895. The total length of bridge is about 600 feet. Tenders for the bridge closed in March 1894, the lowest, of Christopher McClure, being in the sum of £4469. The four central timber trusses of ‘Allan-Howe’ type, each of 90 feet span, were flanked on the east by one 30’ and three 35’ timber beam spans, and on the west by one 30’ and two 35’ timber beam spans. Width between kerbs was 15 feet. The super-structure, with a clearance above low water level of about 40 feet, rested on well braced timber piers with long timber piles driven about 20 feet into bouldery gravel. The size of timbers in the trusses: cross beams 15” x 10”, top truss members double 14” x 61/2”, braces 8” x 8” and lower chord members, double 12” x 5”. **** Image © Paul Rands

* Information courtesy of Canberra's Engineering Heritage web site
** Information courtesy of the ACT Heritage Library
*** Information courtesy of the National Library of Australia
**** Information courtesy of Canberra Liberal Party