Construction on the $17.25 million Monaro Street Refresh in Queanbeyan will begin on March 12, with the main street to close to vehicle traffic for six months.

Mayor Kenrick Winchester said council had opted for a full road closure between the Atkinson Street roundabout and Lowe Street to reduce the overall construction period.

“We were considering a plan to do one lane at a time, but this would have meant a construction time of at least 18 months,” Mayor Winchester said.

Pedestrian access will remain along both sides of the street, including Queens Bridge, and businesses will stay open throughout the works.

The project includes replacing the road surface, updating underground infrastructure, modifying medians, upgrading footpaths and lowering gutter heights. Existing travel lanes and parking will remain in the same layout.

The broader upgrade will extend from Lowe Street to Collett Street as part of council’s CBD Transformation Strategy, Queanbeyan CBD Spatial Masterplan and Queanbeyan Place Plan.

Mayor Winchester said council would continue its business support package during construction, including a Shop Front Improvement Program delivering façade renovations for 20 Monaro Street businesses.

The project is funded by the NSW Government and council.

Alternative routes and traffic management details are at qprc.nsw.gov.au/Monaro-Street