Length:

3 km

Termini:

State Circle is a continuous route without a start or end point

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Forrest, Capital Hill, Barton and Parkes

Current: A23 Anti-clockwise carriageway carries the A23 route number for 1.3 km between Canberra Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue

Former: 23 1 6

XX

General Information:

Forming part of a larger network of arterial roads, State Circle is located south of Canberra's Civic central business district and Lake Burley Griffin. The route is divided its entire length and consists of 2 to 3 lanes in each direction, passing through residential and commercial areas, and also serves as a bypass of Parliament House.

State Circle is unique in that only the anti-clockwise carriageway carries the A23 route number between Canberra Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue. The remainder of the road is unnumbered, despite several now decommissioned route numbers still visible along it.

State Circle:

20 September 1928: State Circle name gazetted. ¹

1937: Mercury vapour street lights installed on State Circle. ²

1958: Completion of full circle as per original Canberra plans of State Circle. The work was for single carriageway which could later be converted to dual carriageway. ³

1959: Kerb and guttering for traffic islands constructed and laying of asphalt surface on State Circle. Landscaping of traffic islands also undertaken. ⁴

March 1960: Traffic flow improvements to the intersection of State Circle and Commonwealth Avenue carried out. Work included the construction of a special left turning lane from State Circle into Commonwealth Avenue for northbound traffic. The carriageway of State Circle would be widened to provide additional lanes for both through and turning traffic. ⁵

1968: Widening of State Circle between Adelaide Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue. ⁶

9 April 1969: Adelaide Avenue and State Circle ramp opened to traffic. ⁷

28 May 1969: Flynn Drive and State Circle junction and remaining Adelaide Avenue to State Circle ramp opened to traffic. ⁸

25 November 1969: State Circle switched to one way traffic. Traffic was made to travel in a clockwise direction until flyovers from Commonwealth Avenue and Adelaide Avenue to Capital Circle were completed. ⁹

24 February 1970: Upgrade of the State Circle and Melbourne Avenue intersection commences. ¹⁰

7 September 1970: Loops ramps and overpasses connecting State Circle and Adelaide Avenue opened to traffic. ¹¹

February 1983: Installation of traffic lights at corner of State Circle and Melbourne Avenue. ¹²

1983: Work begins on alterations to State Circle to connect and improve traffic flow as part of the construction of Parliament House. ¹³

September 1983: Bridges over State Circle to connect with Parliament House take shape. ¹⁴

4 March 1987: Work begins on reconstructing State Circle between Brisbane and Kings Avenues in association with construction of Parliament House. ¹⁵

29 September 1987: State Circle re-opened to traffic following completion of upgrade works associated with Parliament House, between Flynn Drive and Canberra Avenue. ¹⁶

Clockwise

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on State Cir, Parkes, approaching Kings Av, April 2024.

Image © Paul Rands