The Australian Government is currently funding a package of safety works on the Barton Highway.

• Realignment of a one kilometre section of the Barton Highway at Capricorn Corner – completed February 2010.
• Construction of 4.5 kilometres of new road at Gounyan curves to remove seven bends in the highway – completed November 2011.

Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority) is currently investigating safety improvements at other locations along the Barton Highway.

Barton Highway safety review - 2008

This report describes the existing Barton Highway, the types of crashes that have been occurring and the key factors in these crashes. Works programs have been developed to reduce the severity and incidence of crashes, especially crashes that result in casualties.

The safety review was established to report on the following issues:

• Current and future roles, functions and demands on the route in terms of population, land use and transport.
• The overall safety performance of the route and surrounding network, including deficiencies in terms of safety.
• Deficiencies that need to be addressed to provide a measurable improvement in road safety.
• Engineering works and other road safety initiatives such as behavioural and enforcement programs needed to address the most significant road safety issues.

As part of this review, Capricorn Corner and Gounyan Curves were identified as requiring safety improvements prior to ultimate duplication of the Barton Highway.

Work to realign Capricorn Corner, located 28 to 29.1 km north of Canberra, was completed in February 2010.

The section was considered a high priority for safety improvements given its crash history. The five year accident history from 2000 to 2004 was seven crashes. Its existing alignment was also not consistent with a 100km/h speed environment.

The $4 million realignment of Capricorn Corner was constructed to become part of the southbound carriageway of the proposed future duplication of the highway.

Work on the $22 million Gounyan Curves realignment, located 41.8 to 46.3 km north of Canberra, started in October 2010.

The project involved constructing 4.5 kilometres of new road to remove seven bends in the highway. A 1.2 kilometre southbound overtaking lane has also been built to replace the existing northbound overtaking lane.

The new two lane road has been built east of the existing highway and will form one carriageway of a future duplication of the Barton Highway.

This project was opened to traffic in November 2011.