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TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION HAS COMMENCED
Brisbane's North South Bypass Tunnel aka the NSBT is Australia's largest project since the Sydney Olympic games! This is also Brisbane's biggest project EVER! AND the longest tunnel in Australia approximately 5.2kms in length!! Worth around 2 billion dollars and very futuristic...
NSBT web site (http://www.rivercitymotorway.net.au/)
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/lord_mayor-signing_opt.jpghttp://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/NSBTpics.jpg
Video's here, http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,18955020-952,00.html
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:STANDARD:1434190570:pc=PC_1717
The NSBT will:
* address existing and predicted future congestion levels in and around the city
* remove a significant amount of vehicles from the existing surface roads in the city
* complete a CBD bypass and inner city ring road system
* deliver a better network for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport
* free up road space to enable opportunities for public transport and other modes of transport along the NSBT corridor
* save motorists up to 15 minutes on a cross-city trip and reduce the peak-hour travel time across the City
* enable motorists to avoid 18 sets of traffic lights
* improve air quality in the city by reducing surface traffic
* enable regeneration of urban centres in Woolloongabba, Bowen Hills and Kangaroo Point
* employ more than 1,200 people at the peak of construction
* allow the people of Brisbane and Queensland to invest in the road through a public share offer
* include state of the art electronic tolling, interoperable with other Australian electronic toll roads
* create new standards in tolling customer service, particularly in convenience, flexibility and transparency.

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NSBT CONNECTIONS

The Northern distributor ( Via ICB )...
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/Northernconnection.jpg
The Southern connection ( Via Pacific motorway )
Zoom up...
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/Southernconnectionzoomup.jpg
The Central connection ( Via Shafston Avenue )
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/centralenterancezo.jpg
Zoom
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/centralzu.jpg
All
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/overview.jpg

What was the difference between the tenders?

Original Cost - $900 million
Blown Out Cost - Near $2 billion
Original toll - $2.20
Forecast toll - $4.00

but........................................................

15 minutes less travel time and 18 missed lights.

This is Australia's largest and longest tunnel plus we have one even bigger approved and up for tender and the stingey Commonwealth Govt wont give us a penny in funding. Just like they are selling us the short end of the straw with the Ipswich Mwy

macquarie led team lost
leighton team are the winning bidders

Sucked in Mac Bank! If the Mac-bank team won, the toll would start out at $4.00 and would rise to $30 in a week... Profit hungry bastards.

15 minutes less travel time and 18 missed lights.


Actually there already is a traffic light-free route (unless you're going south, in which case there's 1 set) -- via Hale Street and the Inner City bypass. But the 15 minutes reduced travel time is definitley true. Hale Street is a bitch (and it was engineered to the lowest possible standards, IMO)... even outside peak.

Sucked in Mac Bank! If the Mac-bank team won, the toll would start out at $4.00 and would rise to $30 in a week... Profit hungry bastards.

and leighton wouldnt? lol
macquarie is the worlds biggest owner of tollway's and most of their sydney assets are reasonably priced - the new M7 in sydney is great and not that expensive

when these contracts are developed very few governments allow companies to raise prices as much as they like

its usually something like CPI +1% per year, GDP + 1% or something very similar

and leighton wouldnt? lol
macquarie is the worlds biggest owner of tollway's and most of their sydney assets are reasonably priced - the new M7 in sydney is great and not that expensive

when these contracts are developed very few governments allow companies to raise prices as much as they like

its usually something like CPI +1% per year, GDP + 1% or something very similar

I dunno, there's just something I don't like about Macquarie...

Is this really Australia's longest Tunnel? I would have thought the M5 tunnel in Sydney was longer, of course I could be wrong, maybe its just that I always get stuck in traffic on the M5 so it seems really long. Either way, YAY thats its one step closer to being a reality.

Yeah, It is! and this is the biggest and most expensive project since the 2000 olympic games!! This is going to be a very futuristic tunnel!!

You can download the virtual drive-throughs (videos) here:
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,18946264-952,00.html

^^ PLUS you have the EVEN LONGER Airport Link Tunnel which is between $1-2 Billion and the Gateway Duplication and upgrade which is $1.6 Billion

Other large road projects include the widening and Transit Lanes on the M1 Springwood - Logan Mwy, SW Motorway corridor, Ipwich Mwy widening and Bruce Highway widening, Hale St Bridge Link and possible Toowong - Herston tunnel

Public Transport doesnt miss out. $250 Inner Northern Busway, $900 Million Northern Busway and the $???? Eastern Busway, UQ/Boggo Busway & Green Bridge, plus additional train tracks and station upgrades to the major suburban lines

youd wanna be a construction contractor in Brisbane ATM

It would be good if they splashed out just a bit of that on an improved road to Ipswich though, that widening mentioned doesn't seem to "concrete" so far.

As well as the videos check out the awesome wide view of the Story Bridge and the tunnel underneath, gives a good indication of the river depth as well.
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,18946264-952,00.html

Is this really Australia's longest Tunnel? I would have thought the M5 tunnel in Sydney was longer, of course I could be wrong, maybe its just that I always get stuck in traffic on the M5 so it seems really long. Either way, YAY thats its one step closer to being a reality.

M5 is 4 km long and this will be 5km.

I heard a rumor today that one of the reasons Macquarie lost was because it proposed a more expensive three lane each way tunnel option - whereas ABN Amro/Leighton proposed the cheaper two lane proposal - and hence viewed as containing less risk
Would have been better to see a two lane with rail connection
If only!

What I don't get is why didnt' they tender it all at once? Will there be any toll caps for driving on the NSBT then Airport link etc?

of course there will be toll caps
it will be something like GDP + 1-2% per year rises or CPI + 1-2% - or if unlucky just CPI

I heard a rumor today that one of the reasons Macquarie lost was because it proposed a more expensive three lane each way tunnel option - whereas ABN Amro/Leighton proposed the cheaper two lane proposal - and hence viewed as containing less risk
Would have been better to see a two lane with rail connection
If only!

The Courier Mail was reporting that Macquarie wanted road closures as part of the deal, just like the Sydney cross tunnel disaster, and the BCC said no.

Rail would be good, but if things go to plan I think we are going to get it anyway, and with probably a better tunnel alignment if it is also serving Spring Hill, Riverside, QUT and the Gabba that's 3 badly needed new City Stations (and one even more badly needed station close to my place :) ).

of course there will be toll caps
it will be something like GDP + 1-2% per year rises or CPI + 1-2% - or if unlucky just CPI


I don't mean those kind of caps I am talking about a set top price for travelling from the Gabba to Stafford etc. That will be potentially through 2 different toll providers.

ie On the M7 in Sydney there is a top cap if you drive the entire length - but here that may not happen....

^^ yeah i know what u mean. i hope u dont have to pay like $10 just to drive from gabba to toombul.

with the NSBT, i think u should only pay for what u use. eg. if u exit @ Shafston, you should only pay half coz u only used half the tunnel.

Wow, this looks like a bitchin tunnel! So when will it be completed?

2010... and it starts this september.

It is interesting what comes up at www.nsbt.com.au

I wonder if this is going to be the official website for the tunnel??

^^ yeah i know what u mean. i hope u dont have to pay like $10 just to drive from gabba to toombul.

with the NSBT, i think u should only pay for what u use. eg. if u exit @ Shafston, you should only pay half coz u only used half the tunnel.


Yeah the toll should be based on a per km rate (capped at $4), just like the M7 in Sydney (it's something like 25c/km capped at ~$5.50).

Finally - only thing I'm wondering is - will the Toll Road succeed in drawing people away from the Riverside Xwy or will it drive more people onto it - Witness Logan Mwy/Johnston Rd (sp?) in Browns Plains. Everyone takes that 2 lane goat track and the freeway is mostly empty!

This also doesn't solve two of the biggest inner city traffic snarls IMO - Milton Rd (could be solved with a few left Slip lanes frankly) and Gympie Rd - Needs a parallel freeway desperately

So the NSBT is going ahead as well as the Airport link and potentially the Hale Street Bridge. Do you think the Northern Distrubutor (Western FWY to ICB) and the East West link (Western FWY to Pacific MWY) will ever go ahead?

^^ The NSBT is starting in september and Airport link is close to being up for tender but the Northern Distrubutor (Western FWY to ICB) and the East West link (Western FWY to Pacific MWY) are in the pipeline, but would be a while away...Cambel New... promised those before he was elected as L mayor.

Am I the only one that cant find the videos? I went to the site via the link and all I got was the courier mail article, I can figure out how to get to the video. Can anyone help?

^^ Go to the ...

Watch animations of traffic flow
Entering the tunnel from Ipswich Road
A bird's eye view of traffic flow
Tunnel connection to the Inner City Bypass
Tunnel wideshot at the Story Bridge

then click on the videos below... if you have a mac, it may not work i'm not too sure?

Just a bit of info on NSBT... I just can't wait for this, Only 4 years to go!!
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/NSBTarticle.jpg

There is a protest against the tunnels happening at 11am on Saturday in front of 189 Elizabeth Street.


Damn NIMBY's

^^OMG! are you serious!!! Crap!!! Maybe i should protest against the protesters! lol. Seriously!!! SEQ has a NIMBY problem!!! They are the people who i just want to bulldoze their houses...lol... :bash:

I was thinking about going there at that time anyway even before I saw the protest sign!!!

^^ hahahaha. i know the guy who is the ringleader of that mob. hes one of my lecturers at uni. hes always trying to subltly drop hints that the tunnel is bad. most of us tell him hes dreaming. i dont think he likes that!

I'm against the project as it will send the city of Brisbane into dept and theventilation stacks will not be filtered.

^^
1. Most of the money will be coming from private companies,
2. There is nothing wrong with council's going into debt for the right reasons,
3. The pollution would be majourily worse from stop start traffic, especially trucks,
4. Safety would be increased in suburbs like woolloongabba, Kangaroo Point and the Valley as there will be a massive reduction in trucks, service vehicles and interstate/international drivers,
5. The sooner we get a ring road for Brisbane, the sooner we can limit the width of roads in the CBD and massively encourage and promote COMMUTERS to take public transport.

My 2c

I'm against the project as it will send the city of Brisbane into dept and theventilation stacks will not be filtered.

This stop-start traffic is far worse than just rolling straight through... Also what KJbrissy said, this will be predominantly built and owned by a private company which would collect a chunk percentage of tolls for 35 years...

NSBT Air Quality

Air quality modelling for the EIS indicates that the tunnel operations would satisfy air quality goals for both in-tunnel conditions and ambient (external) conditions. Modelling indicates that local and regional air quality would be maintained.

The potential risk to public health has been assessed. The findings indicate there will be little, if any, change in public health due to the NSBT project.
Air quality in Brisbane is likely to improve over time due partly to the improvements in the road network, the use of cleaner fuels and improvements in engine technology and vehicle emission controls.

Council is investigating the effectiveness of air filtration technologies for NSBT in response to its corporate policies on air quality, energy and livability. Provision has been made in the project design and budget for the fitting of filtration equipment if and when effective technology becomes available.

Who says this tunnel won't be stop start traffic? Look at the M5 East in Sydney.

The EIS for the NSBT was flawed. I could hire those consultants to do a report for a tunnel under Logan with an air stack going into the air conditioning system at the council offices and convince them there would be no health effects. Blindly quoting an EIS that isn't worth the paper it's printed on will not convince me that that TransApex is a good idea. No city in the world has successfully built their way out of congestion. We're cementing in car dependancy instead of investing in infrastructure like the Kippa Ring and Flagstone rail lines.

well once this and Airport link are built, then we can start to put massive amounts of money in light rail and more infrastructure... we already do have TUNS of projects around the place...upgrading of all inner city train stations, Inner northern busway... I think it's time we put some money towards road infrastructure...without it, Brisbane WILL grind to a halt.

With this infrastructure Brisbane will still grint to a halt. Politicians are too bust trying to leave an infrastructure legacy but it's of the wrong kind.

Futhermore road and rail upgrades for the Gold and Sunshine Coasts will happen (ie Tugun Bypass, North Coast rail line upgrade, Gold Coast rail extension, Bruce Highway upgrade to 6 lanes, etc).

Who says this tunnel won't be stop start traffic? Look at the M5 East in Sydney.

The EIS for the NSBT was flawed. I could hire those consultants to do a report for a tunnel under Logan with an air stack going into the air conditioning system at the council offices and convince them there would be no health effects. Blindly quoting an EIS that isn't worth the paper it's printed on will not convince me that that TransApex is a good idea. No city in the world has successfully built their way out of congestion. We're cementing in car dependancy instead of investing in infrastructure like the Kippa Ring and Flagstone rail lines.

How about a metro for Brisbane? Check out:

http://www.udal.org.au/images/metro4brisbane/METRO_2.pdf - description of proposed system
http://www.udal.org.au/images/metro4brisbane/Metro_diagram.jpg - diagram of proposed system

BTW, where is the Flagstone railway line?

^^Love the diagram, but I can't get the PDF to work properly

^^ hahahaha. i know the guy who is the ringleader of that mob. hes one of my lecturers at uni. hes always trying to subltly drop hints that the tunnel is bad. most of us tell him hes dreaming. i dont think he likes that!

Yeah Tristan was there.

It was really funny, they didn't have any effect on the project whatsoever by turning up. Rivercity Motorway, aren't going to stop a $2b project because 20 people of a city of almost 2 milion turn up the first day their shop opens to protest it.

Really Funny :hilarious

All of the rail projects have been left near the end of the inrastructure plan in 2026. These should be prioritised above roads NOW! not later!

No way, we need new roads, roads are the lifeblood of the SEQ, when they clog up everything clogs up. Rail is well and good but roads first.

cementing in car dependancy instead of investing in infrastructure like the Kippa Ring and Flagstone rail lines.

i agree with the flagstone line but the kippa ring option seems to be too long. i mean it takes 30 mins just to get to zillmere. the redcliffe option IMO needs to follow the Shorncliffe line and deviate when it intersects the Gateway. Then it can follow the path of the Gateway and Deagon Deviation. That would reduce travel times drastically

How about a metro for Brisbane? Check out:

http://www.udal.org.au/images/metro4brisbane/METRO_2.pdf - description of proposed system
http://www.udal.org.au/images/metro4brisbane/Metro_diagram.jpg - diagram of proposed system

BTW, where is the Flagstone railway line?

That's really good!!! I wish Cambel saw this... But i would have to agree with Locke, 1st i want to see the NSBT and Airportlink then light rail. Because if we don't update our road infrastructure, Brisbane will be the equivalent to a country town. So i am glad we are doing these 2 big projects first..

River City Motorway (http://www.rivercitymotorway.net.au/) website is now up and running.

http://www.rivercitymotorway.net.au/images/home/featpic2.jpg


* The total length of the project is 5.8km
* This includes 4.8km of dual twin lane tunnels that are 12.4m in diameter
* Total length of tunnel to be excavated – approx 10.4km including on/off ramps
* Total tonnes of dirt removed – 3.5 million
* Excavation method – 2 hard rock Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) and up to 6 roadheaders
* Rate of progress – roadheader approximately 3m a day and TBM approximately 20m a day
* Total amount of concrete to be used in the construction of the tunnel – 280,000 cubic metres
* Direct staff numbers – average 900 at any one time, at the peak of construction 1200
* The NSBT is the lowest priced toll tunnel in Australia – at 5.8km it will be 64c per kilometre

Wow - that model looks, um, great. Can't wait for the real thing. Brizzie's becoming a really inviting city! Concrete and fumes anyone?

^^ Concrete and fumes??? that is exactly what we are avoiding by building the NSBT...duuuuuhhhhhhhhh

and the other thing is, all the concrete is UNDERGROUND. It will have no impact above ground except for the portals which will actually improve the amenity of somewhat tired areas.

the fumes is another debate!

i asked the NSBT rep and had a look at the landscape plans at Elizabeth St today. The landscaping will include large Bunya Pines & Moreton Bay Figs around portals and a Leopard Tree Boulevard down Lutwyche Rd.

^^ Concrete and fumes??? that is exactly what we are avoiding by building the NSBT...duuuuuhhhhhhhhh

Except for the prime inner city land at the Mayne Railyards which will be turned into some LA-style wet dream for engineers and traffic planners. Could have been some open space that Brisbane desperately needs, or an urban villlage perhaps?

I know I'm out of tune with alot of you on this forum over the NSBT but I think the long term outcome of this project will be negative and result in a decline in quality of life for Brisbane. I agree that there is a huge traffic snarl problem in Brizzie but building more freeways never solves these issues in the long term. It only creates more space for more cars to fill.

The multi billions of bucks could be better spent on something for the long term like a metro, but anyway, maybe intime thats going to happen.

^^ At the risk of sounding like part of the minority, and that fruitloop lecturer (turn NSBT protester by night), I totally agree. A metro is a far better idea to be spending this kind of money on. Like this:

How about a metro for Brisbane? Check out:

http://www.udal.org.au/images/metro4brisbane/METRO_2.pdf - description of proposed system
http://www.udal.org.au/images/metro4brisbane/Metro_diagram.jpg - diagram of proposed system

BTW, where is the Flagstone railway line?

But then again that's just me, and maybe those in power are right in thinking in 20 years time our dependency on cars will be just as strong, if not greater, than it currently is, making this kind of investment in road infrastructure worthwhile (though, investment... toll... money-making... what are the motives). :cheer:

Except for the prime inner city land at the Mayne Railyards which will be turned into some LA-style wet dream for engineers and traffic planners. Could have been some open space that Brisbane desperately needs, or an urban villlage perhaps?
.

The Mayne Railyards will never get built over, at least not for the next 30 years. They are currently upgrading it to accomodate the new trains that will be commissioned in 2008. If youve been through there lately you will notice shitloads of construction works.

I beleive that PT is the go and that is what is happening. All the busways and rail upgrades. The NSBT will remove remaining traffic away from the city so the city will be better to be in. CANT PPL UNDERSTAND THAT! You need freeways to remove taffic from urban areas!

Everyone is not going to abandone their cars tomorrow and the trucking and transport orientated businesses arent going to load buses with thier freight. :bash:

The Mayne Railyards will never get built over, at least not for the next 30 years. They are currently upgrading it to accomodate the new trains that will be commissioned in 2008. If youve been through there lately you will notice shitloads of construction works.

Well whatever chunk of land it is they're building the interchange on - its a shame to see the heart of Brisbane wasted like that.

I beleive that PT is the go and that is what is happening. All the busways and rail upgrades. The NSBT will remove remaining traffic away from the city so the city will be better to be in. CANT PPL UNDERSTAND THAT! You need freeways to remove taffic from urban areas!

OK, so some motorists decide to use the tunnels, thus freeing up space on the surface streets. Then others decide, "hey - I can drive around Brizzie much easier now thanks to that tunnel, and its quicker to drive than catch a bus or a train, and I don't really want to pay a toll so I'll drive on the surface roads". And so then we get back to square one.

Everyone is not going to abandone their cars tomorrow and the trucking and transport orientated businesses arent going to load buses with thier freight. :bash:

They might if they're offered a quick and accessible means of being distributed around the inner city (which happens to be booming). Increased population density needs to go hand in hand with soming like a metro NOW, not in 20 years time.

^^ i think a metro is a good idea. Brisbane is too hilly for a metro. The gradients for the trains are too steep if there can be adequate amounts of stations. The City underground if that happens is the closest we will ever get

If Brisbane is too hilly for a metro, build deeper :) [its vital public transport, spare no costs! even Santo Domingo of the Dominian Republic is building a metro]

Would you use new trains, or the existing Brisbane trains?

I think the already planned underground city line intends on using normal Brisbane suburban electrics.

I always reckon it is good to use the equipment you have (unless there is something wrong with it) and just expand the system underground. The underground maps as shown above look like very good routes. I personally don't think the steepness of Brisbane is an issue. As said by Me Simon, just dig them deeper.

This project signifies the massive amounts of money being poured into SEQ Infrastructure...by the local and state governments...NOT THE FEDS...we got 0$ from that shit budget!

Also, the Brisbane City council & state gov are not just building road infrastructure but rail and lots of bus tunnels... so...I highly dought Brisbane will become like LA... mind you, melboune seems to be the leader in concrete freeways... last time i was there... such a shame ;)

Except for the prime inner city land at the Mayne Railyards which will be turned into some LA-style wet dream for engineers and traffic planners. Could have been some open space that Brisbane desperately needs, or an urban villlage perhaps?

I know I'm out of tune with alot of you on this forum over the NSBT but I think the long term outcome of this project will be negative and result in a decline in quality of life for Brisbane. I agree that there is a huge traffic snarl problem in Brizzie but building more freeways never solves these issues in the long term. It only creates more space for more cars to fill.

The multi billions of bucks could be better spent on something for the long term like a metro, but anyway, maybe intime thats going to happen.


you forget one very important point!
A city needs infrastructure not just for public transport but also for industry/business as accessibility is extremely important to enable this important economic sector to engage in trade and commerce.
A city must be accessible so that industry can move goods and services.
Building a city with no freeways and a lot of public transport will also cause problems - a lot of problems - as will the opposite scenario: lack of public transport and a lot of roads.
Hence we need a balance as industry and commerce is what makes a city economically significant. Take the M7 in sydney as an example: it is creating a massive boom in western sydney and enhancing and expanding a massive industrial hub.

^^ EXACTLY! zach24... We need a balance of infrastructure...and ATM Brisbane is lacking on good roads!!!

Except for the prime inner city land at the Mayne Railyards which will be turned into some LA-style wet dream for engineers and traffic planners. Could have been some open space that Brisbane desperately needs, or an urban villlage perhaps?

I know I'm out of tune with alot of you on this forum over the NSBT but I think the long term outcome of this project will be negative and result in a decline in quality of life for Brisbane. I agree that there is a huge traffic snarl problem in Brizzie but building more freeways never solves these issues in the long term. It only creates more space for more cars to fill.

The multi billions of bucks could be better spent on something for the long term like a metro, but anyway, maybe intime thats going to happen.

I also think the North South Bypass Tunnel should not be built.

Is the proposed NSBT really necessary? To me the Storey Bridge already serves the purpose that the tunnel would - to provide a bypass of the CBD to the east. This, along with the fact that the tunnel would be tolled, tells me that many motorists would avoid it and still use the bridge. This proposal just seems to duplicate existing infrastructure.

^^ i think a metro is a good idea. Brisbane is too hilly for a metro. The gradients for the trains are too steep if there can be adequate amounts of stations. The City underground if that happens is the closest we will ever get

There are technologies in use that can allow metro trains to operate on gradients steeper than more conventional systems allow.

One is metros with rubber-tyred wheels running in concrete guideways, as used on some French metro systems e.g. those of Paris (some lines only), Lille and Toulouse (the VAL Metro system), and elsewhere like Montreal, Canada and Santiago, Chile. The greater adhesion compared to steel wheels on steel rails allows the trains to negotiate steeper gradients and is supposedly quieter too. However, this can also generate more heat and raise the air temperature in tunnels and underground stations, which could cause discomfort for passengers and staff.

Another possibility is to provide propulsion by a means that does not rely on adhesion between wheels and rails or guideways to transmit the engine's driving force. An example is the linear induction motor (LIM), which is basically an electric motor laid out flat, which (in simplified terms) uses magnetic forces between the train's underside and the track to propel the train forward. Such rolling stock is not of the magnetic levitation (maglev) variety, as they still run on steel wheels on steel rails. However, tractive effort is not transmitted from wheels to rails, so adhesion between the two is irrelevant. This allows LIM-driven trains to negotiate steeper gradients than conventional trains. LIMs have few moving parts, so their maintainance is relatively simple. Examples of LIM-driven trains include the Skytrain in Vancouver, Canada and a few lines in some Japanese subways.

The VAL Metro and the Skytrain are also automated i.e. they don't use drivers, but this is not necessary for these alternative propulsion systems to be used.

How rubber-tyred and LIM-driven trains compare to more conventionally driven trains in terms of performance, reliability, safety, purchasing, operating and maintainance costs and in particular electricity consumption I don't know.

What do others think?

yeah well its gona be built...so...not much you can do about it :okay:

Is the proposed NSBT really necessary? To me the Storey Bridge already serves the purpose that the tunnel would - to provide a bypass of the CBD to the east. This, along with the fact that the tunnel would be tolled, tells me that many motorists would avoid it and still use the bridge. This proposal just seems to duplicate existing infrastructure.


The idea is to take traffic away from the congested Story Bridge, if you have seen it at peak hour you would know why. Also the NSBT links directly with the SE freeway, and then doesn't come out until miles past the Bridge and Valley, missing many lights and built up areas. Future plans would also link it with the airport, and the Gateway Motorway going North.

It's like when they built the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, almost mirroring the existing Sydney Harbour Bridge, that has been a succes.

^^that's right Aussie bhoy, The NSBT is like the harbour tunnel and Airportlink is like sydney's eastern distributor which is IMO the best freeway in sydney...it just slices up the suburbs and goes straight into the city...

I just wonder why? Why is it that everyone has to criticize big projects in Brisbane like the NSBT where in Sydney, the harbour tunnel and east distributor was fine with them...i think that Brisbane is yet to be in this "OK IT CAN HAPPEN" mood...either that or there are allot of people who like complaining in SEQ...

Is the proposed NSBT really necessary? To me the Storey Bridge already serves the purpose that the tunnel would

That is like saying, Is the Sydney harbour tunnel really necessary because you have got the iconic Sydney harbour bridge... both tunnels are VERY similar...only the NSBT goes under more suburbs than river...

In Sydney the Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel are both tolled (in one direction) and at the same amount, so there's no financial incentive to use one over the other, all other things being equal.

In Brisbane the Storey Bridge is not tolled but the NSTB will be, so there will be a financial incentive to use the bridge over the tunnel. If traffic on the bridge is congested then I guess some motorists will use the tunnel, if their time is valuable to them and they are willing to pay, like any other tollroad.

If my questioning of the need for the NSTB was interpreted as criticism then too bad. I don't make a habit of criticising projects in S.E.Q., and there are many good ones e.g. the Translink PT fare system, the M1 to the Gold Coast and an airport rail line that is solvent!

Just to be fair, Sydney has its' share of cock-ups e.g. PT that is a joke, the Cross City Tunnel and an airport rail line that is not solvent...

Anyone anywhere who wants to pass comment on Sydney infrastructure is more than welcome to do so.

Living in one place does not exclude forumers from commenting about projects elsewhere.

No-one is saying you can't comment Jean Luc, just offering reasons why the NSBT is good.

I don't think they could get the toll put back on the Story bridge even if it was to promote usage of the NSBT, it was taken off years ago, before I can ever remember (and I can't find any details about when on the net) unlike Sydney's coathanger. Why is that still tolled, it must have been paid off by now.

1940 Story Bridge toll booths
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2779/brisbane1940storybridgetoll28c.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I like Sydney's approach, let's toll the Northbound traffic on both the tunnel and bridge only.

Is a metro even viable for Brisbane? How far out from the CBD do the areas which have population densities exceeding 3000-4000ppl/sq km extend to? You wouldn't want to use existing suburban trains for such a service, because 2 doors per side on each carriage is unsuitable for a metro style service (for lots of passengers), and they don't accelerate and decelerate anywhere near as quickly as a typical metro train should.

I don't think the the NSBT is such a bad idea, because by diverting traffic around the Brisbane CBD, it would provide an opportunity to redevelop some of the streets in such a way to encourage pedestrian-friendliness, and to get unnecessary road traffic off some of the streets. IMO, it also would provide the opportunity to encourage more inner city traffic to be public transport oriented.

I always reckon it is good to use the equipment you have (unless there is something wrong with it) and just expand the system underground. The underground maps as shown above look like very good routes. I personally don't think the steepness of Brisbane is an issue. As said by Me Simon, just dig them deeper.

I believe that if a metro is built in Brisbane, it should be completely separate from the Citytrain system. That's because the purpose of a metro system is completely different the purpose of a commuter rail system like Citytrain. While the Citytrain system has moderately frequent services (every 15-30 min off peak, 5-15 min during peak), a metro is a mass transit system with trains every 10-15 mins off-peak and every 2 or 3 minutes during peak. You could combine the two systems and provide the same level of service as a metro by running trains from several commuter lines through each metro line, but then you'd end up with an unreliable disaster like Cityrail.

But if the council/state government/QR end up building that single rail tunnel through the CBD to increase capacity on the COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM, I agree, integrate it with the narrow gauge commuter rail system.... it makes sense. But if you want a multi-line underground with highly frequent services to serve the central suburbs (i.e. areas not currently service by the Citytrain system such as New Farm, Bulimba, West End, UQ, QUT etc.), go for the completely separate metro idea, which is proposed in that 'Metro for Brisbane' PDF. But make sure the metro lines end at a Citytrain station, to allow passengers to interchange between the systems.

In terms of design and equipment, if a completely separate metro system is built, we should use standard gauge tracks and rollingstock, because that will reduce costs. QR currently have to get their trains designed and built especially for them (which is expensive), since they operate a narrow gauge train system. Not only that, if we built a narrow gauge metro using existing rollingstock, you'd have to bore very large and expensive tunnels to fit the trains (~4m high) and the overhead wiring in (+1-2 m). But if we went for a standard gauge metro with low-profile trains and a third rail power supply (more like 3 m high), you could bore smaller tunnels at a much lower cost, and achieve the same outcome.

About the viability of a metro in Brisbane, I believe a metro line would be viable on the east-west axis with stations at Brett's Wharf, Hamilton, Hawthorne, Bulimba, New Farm, Dockside, Riverside Centre, QUT, South Bank, West End, UQ and Indooroopilly. That east-west line would be very expensive with all of the river crossings, however. On the north-south axis, however, it wouldn't be viable at the moment if you looked purely at population density. But I agree with the folks who made up that Metro for Brisbane proposal... we should be building a metro to consolidate the population, that is, to increase the density of the inner suburbs. If the system is fast, cheap, clean, frequent and efficient, people will want to live near it. Anyone seen Field of Dreams, that movie where they say, "if you build it they will come"?

While the system would be expensive to build, by using low profile trains you could save a ton of cash (the proposal states cost savings of up to 30%). Another way you could cut costs is by making the system automated (driverless), by building energy efficent stations (i.e. doors at the platform edges to reduce the cost of air conditioning), building stations as PPPs, renting out station space to retailers (as they do in Hong Kong) and by using imported standard gauge rollingstock.

Just my 2c.

Is there a website for this "Metro for Brisbane" proposal?

Is there a website for this "Metro for Brisbane" proposal?

http://www.udal.org.au/onthetable.html
The Urban Design Alliance, Queensland. They have some interesting ideas for North Bank which are worth checking out, too.

[QUOTE=AG] You wouldn't want to use existing suburban trains for such a service, because 2 doors per side on each carriage is unsuitable for a metro style service (for lots of passengers), and they don't accelerate and decelerate anywhere near as quickly as a typical metro train should.

QUOTE]

Brisbane has the fastest suburban network in Oz. Our trains run on 25,000 volts and arent affected by 3 phase frequency troubles like the sydney trains are. Brisbane trains can accelerate to 100km/h just as quickly as a V6 car can.

That is really cool! I like the idea of closing up the riverside expressway...
whats with this proposal? is that the type that the BCC want?
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/northbankUDAL_5March2002_14_jpg.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/northbankUDAL_5March2002_10_jpg.jpg

No-one is saying you can't comment Jean Luc, just offering reasons why the NSBT is good.

I don't think they could get the toll put back on the Story bridge even if it was to promote usage of the NSBT, it was taken off years ago, before I can ever remember (and I can't find any details about when on the net) unlike Sydney's coathanger. Why is that still tolled, it must have been paid off by now.

1940 Story Bridge toll booths
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2779/brisbane1940storybridgetoll28c.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

i didnt know australia even had car's in the 1940's?

...unlike Sydney's coathanger. Why is that still tolled, it must have been paid off by now.

20 years ago. The current toll arrangements go to consolidated revenue so could be seen to be there only as a tax/traffic growth limiter. Some of the combined revenues go to pay off the Harbour Tunnel (a PPP road, though not a BOOT one).

The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel run from the Warringah Freeway to either side of the CBD. Little of the traffic that uses the bridge could make use of the tunnel, but whilst the Cahill Expressway remains the opposite is not true (all traffic using the tunnel could use the bridge)

I believe that if a metro is built in Brisbane, it should be completely separate from the Citytrain system. That's because the purpose of a metro system is completely different the purpose of a commuter rail system like Citytrain.

Well, it should still fall under the branding of QR. I think using New York as a model would work well for Brisbane. In New York, The MTA(QR) is responsible for the subway, as well as the Long Island RR, Metro North RR and Staten Island RR with the commuter lines sharing stations with the subway.

Definitley agree with you on that one, Nikko. I'd hate to see a privately owned metro system in Brisbane. That would be a huge turn off.

"Queen St to the Riverside Centre, that will be $8 please..."

RE: The MTA in New York; they also run the buses too. In fact, New York City has their own Department of Transport run by the state government in addition to the regular state Department of Transport.

An integrated transport authority for SEQ would be cool too.

Maybe they could split QT and the Main Roads department up into three separate agencies under one larger Department of Transport (i.e. still have one minister).

1. SEQTA (pronounced Sekta), the South East Queensland Transport Agency. It could be a partnership between the state and local governments in SEQ, responsible for the TransLink PT system (rebrand all of the PT to TransLink, like they have done in Perth with Transperth), all roads (even ones currently maintained by the council), motorways and toll collection in SEQ. Instead of having 50 different toll tags like they do in Sydney, (EWay, Roam etc.), you could have just one E-Toll tags like we do at the moment (but not for long, with the NSBT... they will most probably have their own stupid system, but it will still be compatible with the Qld Motorways tags).

2. TARQ (pronounced Tark), the Transport Agency for Regional Queensland. It would be responsible for all transport planning, state-controlled roads outside of SEQ and PT in regional Queensland.
3. LRA, the Licencing and registration agency. The name says it all.


Just an idea (probably stupid though, but you can decide).
Trent.

^^^

That has merit, and just using New York as an example again, the MTA is also closely linked with Port Authority which are responsible for road bridges and tunnels.

That is really cool! I like the idea of closing up the riverside expressway...
whats with this proposal? is that the type that the BCC want?
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/northbankUDAL_5March2002_14_jpg.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/northbankUDAL_5March2002_10_jpg.jpg

Is this a Northbank proposal or just speculation. Shouldnt this be in the Northbank thread

I think there should be a congestion charge in the CBD and the tolls should be completed removed from the Gateway and Logan Motorways, including the Gateway Bridge.

I'm sorry but I thought this was a thread about the NSBT??? :sleepy:

^well you have to look at the NSBT as part of the whole traffic management issue wouldn't you?

Maybe we should have a discussion thread about a Metro system seperate, since the two really dont have anything to do with eachother.

I wish labor would shut up sometimes! :bash:



Tunnel price tops $3b


May 24, 2006

THE cost of Brisbane's North-South Bypass Tunnel is really $3 billion – not the "$2 billion plus" figure quoted last month by Liberal Lord Mayor Campbell N*ewman.

The true figure – more than triple the original tunnel cost estimate – emerged yesterday in a Brisbane City Council meeting to discuss contract signings.

The figure took its toll on Cr N*ewmanwho tried to downplay it as $2.8 billion, before relenting to Labor pressure to confirm the figure at just over $3 billion.

He resorted to word games to explain how he hid the real cost on April 27 when confirming RiverCity Motorway as the winning tenderer, announcing it as "$2 billion-plus".

"I said this is a $2 billion-plus contract," Cr N*ewman said.

"I hinted that it was $2 billion plus-plus. Like 'plus' means something. It wasn't $2 billion, it was plus."

In reality, the $2 billion figure would barely have covered the construction costs of the tunnel from Woolloongabba to Bowen Hills, under the Brisbane River.

Another $1 billion was tied up in other costs such as interest on borrowings, resumptions, development, financing and planning and other approvals.

And the cost could rise further. The council has agreed to indemnify RiverCity Motorways against the impact of interest rate rises until financial closure in several weeks.

Although the cost blowout did not affect ratepayers' contributions, it was another blow for Cr N*ewman, who had already suffered the embarrassment of a blowout in his preferred 35-year tolling period to 45 years.

And his proposed $2 toll in 2002 terms to $4.10 when the tunnel opens in 2010.

At least he kept the ratepayer's contribution to construction costs down to $292 million, rather than the $450 million ceiling imposed by the Queensland Treasury Corporation.

"You don't have to pay it until the completion of the actual tunnel contract works (in 2010)," he said. By then the figure would be about $377 million.

Labor seized on the costings to cast doubt on Cr N*ewman's ability to deliver on his multi-billion-dollar TransApex tunnel and bridge projects.

"This is just one tunnel of five," Labor Deputy Mayor Cr David Hinchliffe said.

"How on earth are we going to afford this without sending the city broke?"

It was a concern echoed by rating service Standard and Poor's, which yesterday confirmed Brisbane's AA+ credit rating, the second highest, but warned

of "downward pressure" if the council sought to borrow more than $600 million to $700 million to fund its TransApex project.

Details also emerged yesterday of toll packages to the general public, who would pay a minimum of $40 for electronic tags.

Occasional users could establish accounts for $3 with a $20 minimum credit and pay $0.35 cents for processing each time they used the tunnel.

Casual users without tags would pay the toll fees, plus $1 processing.

Yeah, o well. The council only contributes 1.5 Billion... OF ITS OWN MONEY! NOT BLOODY JOHNS!! anyway... YAY! Construction starts in 2 months!

I don't think the the NSBT is such a bad idea, because by diverting traffic around the Brisbane CBD, it would provide an opportunity to redevelop some of the streets in such a way to encourage pedestrian-friendliness, and to get unnecessary road traffic off some of the streets. IMO, it also would provide the opportunity to encourage more inner city traffic to be public transport oriented.

I see your point, but I think the $3 billion could be spent on getting to the core of the problem by building a metro. That way there would automatically be fewer cars if Brisbane had such an efficient transport system, and pedestrian friendliness would naturally follow. :)

^^I personally think we need both!

^^ I agree! We need a balance of things not just a metro but a lot of infrastructure projects! But this! We need!!

In 2 Weeks the NSBT will Float of the stock market!

In 2 Months the NSBT will START!

^it's such an obvious ploy by the owners. They're releasing it on the market so that Brisbanites can gain a sense of ownership and acceptance of the tunnel, thus preventing issues such as those seen with the Cross City Tunnel.

^^I personally think we need both!

Great idea, we will just have to rob the Louvre.

Do we have six billion dollars? (Serious question)

However, it is interesting to see how much revenue can be created by Metro advertising, which could help.

^^Metro advertising, rent for the businesses at Metro stations, Tolls for the road tunnels, increased productivity from less traffic congestion, increased benefits to the economy from the extra work of building the trains, tunnels, metro etc. It goes on forever.

To think the Netherlands avoided the great depression earlier last century that hit the rest of the world purely from the fact that they were building their dykes!!!

NSBT Route Maps (http://www.rivercitymotorway.net.au/keepinformed/theroute.htm) are now available on the RiverCity website. (PDF Files)

^^ Thanks a bunch nagelixin...It would have been a while until i would have noticed!

The Northern connection ( Via ICB )...
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/Northernconnection.jpg
Zoomed
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/zoomnorth.jpg
The Southern connection ( Via Pacific motorway )
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/Southernconnectionzoomout.jpg
Zoom up...
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/Southernconnectionzoomup.jpg
The Central connection ( Via Shafston Avenue )
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/centralenterancezo.jpg
Zoom
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/centralzu.jpg
All
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/overview.jpg

The NSBT - Airport Link (inc Northern Busway) Interchange will be Brisbane's most complex when the plans are released later this year. I just hope that the southbound traffic entering from the tunnel on to the M3 Pacific MWY have sufficent lane merging capacity - ie unlike the existing Logan/Ipwich MWY Interchange, merging from the right...

^^ that interchange on the Ipswich Mwy is going to be reconstructed starting later this year so only a few months away. its a DMR project and is not part of the motorway widening even though it will compensate for it. see it on the DMR site

Construction of the NSBT starts in september...so only a few more months away...

I don't like the funnelling of traffic into the tunnel at the southern portal.

Is a 4 lane tunnel gunna be big enough? I would have thought that if they were going to spend all this money on a traffic sewer they might as well make it big enough to be viable for at least, oh, 5 years? Mwahahahahahaha

^^ the other tender bidder had designed a 6 lane tunnel. this option was only like 20million more. whats 20million when your spending 2-3000 million

I don't like the funnelling of traffic into the tunnel at the southern portal.


1 lane only from the NSBT on to the Pacific MWY is extremely poor. It should of been 2 lanes and then 6 or 7 lanes south for atleast 3km+ after it so that traffic can merge - at speed.

i think brisbane city could have got a lot better trafic and PT outcome if they invested their 1.5bil in 15km of subway. 1.5bil of public money to incourage people to drive more and live futher from the city is in defience of all logic and environmental knowledge. you would wonder about the credability of the EIS report regulations and writers

i think brisbane city could have got a lot better trafic and PT outcome if they invested their 1.5bil in 15km of subway. 1.5bil of public money to incourage people to drive more and live futher from the city is in defience of all logic and environmental knowledge. you would wonder about the credability of the EIS report regulations and writers
Melbourne Engineer, a private group has put forward a proposal for a metro system in Brisbane. If you're interested, see my earlier post, #41 at the top of page 3 in this thread.

Deleted.

Again, the NSBT will spark an infrastructure construction frenzy that will last for decades...so a metro will come next..hopefully :)

Again, the NSBT will spark an infrastructure construction frenzy that will last for decades...so a metro will come next..hopefully :)

:hilarious

Sending Brisbane broke in the process

I think for that sort of money a 6 lane would be a wiser move. Once you have dug a tunnel you have dug it. I think the cost of trying to expand capacity later on would be exponential. It's likely in time this road will become a major thoroughfare and it is probably needed.

Brisbane needs something like it sooner or later so it's bound to happen eventually. I don't think a metro would be quite right for Brisbane just yet. It would take many years and many billions of dollars to construct a network of the size of that pdf file. At least the road tunnel will have an immediate impact which i expect will be positive.

Hopefully since they are going under a river they don't encounter the same problems the Melbourne tunnels encountered under the Yarra.

^^ Probably not because of the Brisbane Tuff (type of rock) which is one on the strongest types of rock around...which is apparently good for building tunnels because of it's strength.

I think for that sort of money a 6 lane would be a wiser move. Once you have dug a tunnel you have dug it. I think the cost of trying to expand capacity later on would be exponential. It's likely in time this road will become a major thoroughfare and it is probably needed.

Brisbane needs something like it sooner or later so it's bound to happen eventually. I don't think a metro would be quite right for Brisbane just yet. It would take many years and many billions of dollars to construct a network of the size of that pdf file. At least the road tunnel will have an immediate impact which i expect will be positive.

Hopefully since they are going under a river they don't encounter the same problems the Melbourne tunnels encountered under the Yarra.

i think a metro would be fine - remember Brisbane now has the same amount of people living in its inner city (6km - city) than Sydney...........according to Mr Salt's demographic statistics. Therefore I believe the inner city is dense enough to support the use of a Metro System. A metro is an expensive and time consuming investment however the payoff will be substantial.

Yes I am not questioning the density or anything I'm just saying that to build one road tunnel you're adding to an existing network and benefiting a lot more users than building one metro tunnel that would go from the city in pretty much one direction not making much difference to everybody else in the rest of Brisbane.

In time I think metro will be fine but I think a road tunnel like this should probably be built first if it can be shown that current and predicted traffic levels warrant it.

As for the Brisbane Tuff rock, I was talking more about directly under the river. Does this Tuff rock cover the entire area like a blanket? How deep is the river and whats it like at the bottom? The problem in Melbourne I think was to do with water entering the tunnels beneath the river, partly and possibly because of the water table or something I'm not sure. However I never heard of the Sydney Harbour tunnel having problems with water so thats why I was asking..

Sydney Harbour Tunnel was constructed from precast concrete boxes which were sunk to the floor of the harbour in a dug out cutting. Melbourne's Burnley Tunnel was constructed by hollowing out/boring the tunnels, and cut and cover at each end. The Burnley Tunnel goes some 60m or so deep under the Yarra, which is very deep, and the water pressure through the rock into the tunnel is extremely high.

Ah i didnt know that thanks AG. I understand in Melbourne water is or was pumped into the ground to stablize it or something like that. The Brisbane tunnels I assume will be bored and not cut'n'cover? No problems with water or pressure foreseen?

From looking at the plans on the first page, it looks like the very ends will be constructed using the cut and cover method at the tunnel portals, but the rest seems to be pure deep level tunnelling using TBMs, due to the round shape of the tunnels that appears in the renders.

The rock that the tunnel passes through would probably be very solid with few, if any fractures in the rock to allow water to seep through from above, as was the case with the Burnley Tunnel.

how deep with the NSBT be under the river?

The contract that RCM and BCC signed is shown here http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/bccwr/major_projects/documents/nsbt_process_financial_close_summary_document.pdf

Whats the Video Product???

From the financial review:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h11/KJBrissy/c6a048be.jpg

that is not unexpected. But it is actually important that the financiers think properly about the projects. The last thing anyone wants (government, consortium or motorists) is another CCT

http://www.brisbaneairportlink.com.au/images/map2.jpg
http://www.brisbaneairportlink.com.au/images/map1.jpg
http://www.brisbaneairportlink.com.au/images/main_map.jpg
NSBT-ICB-Airport Link Interchange.

Amazing stuff!
Brisbane streaking ahead with it's roads programme. Huge amount of tunnelling involved.

Ahhh! YES! i just can't wait for Airport link! it means you can go from Brissy Airport to the city without stopping!! :)

Ahhh! YES! i just can't wait for Airport link! it means you can go from Brissy Airport to the city without stopping!! :)

Until you get to the Airport Roundabout! :bash:

Just use the AirTrain as tickets from the information kiosk in the Queen Street Mall are discounted to $9 instead of $12.

That Interchange looks like it'll shit all over the two perth interchanges and possibly in my Opinion, The M7/M4 interchange in SYD.

Talk about Spaghetti Junction.

Here is another view...

http://www.airportlinkeis.com/OtherLinks/Bowen-Hills_connection.jpg
http://www.airportlinkeis.com/OtherLinks/Kedron_final_290506.jpg
http://www.airportlinkeis.com/OtherLinks/toombul_connection.jpg

I am a little worried in the pics I posted earlier that it will be only 1 lane feeding from the airport link to the NSBT. Surely they would realise that building bottlenecks into such a project will be a disaster.

Isn't is Breakfast Creek, not Enogerra Creek that runs through Bowen Hills in picture 1?

Until you get to the Airport Roundabout! :bash:

Just use the AirTrain as tickets from the information kiosk in the Queen Street Mall are discounted to $9 instead of $12.

Yeah I'm really confused! Cause here you have the BCC planning airportlink then you also got the state governments gateway upgrade and you also have the Airports own new freeway running from the airports...how the hell does all this come together????????? :scouserd:
To make it even more confusing...here is a pic of the BNE's plans to build their freeway...

Why the hell don't they just continue airport link to the new freeway??
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/stagesLarge.jpg

I am a little worried in the pics I posted earlier that it will be only 1 lane feeding from the airport link to the NSBT. Surely they would realise that building bottlenecks into such a project will be a disaster.

Surely it's 2 lanes...

Isn't is Breakfast Creek, not Enogerra Creek that runs through Bowen Hills in picture 1?
Enoggera turns into Breakfast Creek. Breakie Creek only seems to run as far as Albion, then change.

^^ I've zoomed in and im 90% sure it is just one lane from the Airport link to NSBT.
As for the connection with the traffic lights + then the roundabout, I am sure than the companies that tender for the project will build an underpass or perhaps even a diversion to the new airport connection...

^^Yeah, Rivercity changed the NSBT design from what the BCC initially had in mind.

Well - it's good to see Brisbane's northside is getting a few extra freeway connections - now all we need is that 5 tunnel plan to get off the ground!

Hmm that Airport Link/NSBT interchange is ratshit now. All lanes from the NSBT should, by default continue onto the Airport Link (and vice versa). And if you ask me, both tunnels should've been proposed as one project, to be built by one company. The Airport tunnel will have another $4-5 toll on it, making a trip on both tunnels nearly $10. That's just crazy. I do support the Airport Link though, but as others have said, freeway conditions need to be exteneded to the Gateway Mwy for it to be of any benefit.

Hmm that Airport Link/NSBT interchange is ratshit now. All lanes from the NSBT should, by default continue onto the Airport Link (and vice versa)

But it clearly does!! i am pretty sure its 2 lanes each way...
http://www.airportlinkeis.com/OtherLinks/Bowen-Hills_connection.jpg
http://www.brisbaneairportlink.com.au/images/map2.jpg

Yeah that definitely slims down to one lane in both directions for the merges. I suppose travelling south they are expecting large amounts of traffic to be entering from Lutwyche Rd, and travelling north they are expecting equally large amounts of traffic from the INB. I agree tho, it seems a little silly, it looks like they have enough room to have extended merging lanes instead.

One thing I dont like is that you cant go from Stafford Road into the tunnel heading towards the airport. From Stafford Road, I would have thought it would be just as logical as the lane heading south.

But it clearly does!! i am pretty sure its 2 lanes each way...


Look inside the green circle in the image below.

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/8338/untitled33kx.jpg

That's ONE lane with a ridiculously wide shoulder. Yes, the 2 lanes of the NSBT go into the Airport Link by default, but they merge into one just after the gore point. Not only is that poor design (it will create huge traffic snarls), but it's also against Main Roads's design standards. Their traffic manual specifically states that all lanes must be retained through a motorway interchange, unless it is completely impossible to do so. In this case, the lanes are dropped before the end of the motorway interchange.

One thing I dont like is that you cant go from Stafford Road into the tunnel heading towards the airport. From Stafford Road, I would have thought it would be just as logical as the lane heading south.

This is why I hate tunnels. Everything's poorly designed. Narrow lanes, tight curves, crappy interchanges, no shoulders, bad signage due to height restritions (but then again, Quensland already has the worst road signage in the developed world anyway), the list goes on.

That might not be a shoulder! I doubt the council would spend over 3 billion dollars and do a half ass job! we will see i guess...when Airportlink becomes closer.

^^ An example of a 1 lane interchange is the Logan MWY (West) merge with the Gateway MWY. It should be 2 lanes to form a free flowing mwy at 80km from the NSBT to the AP.

That might not be a shoulder! I doubt the council would spend over 3 billion dollars and do a half ass job! we will see i guess...when Airportlink becomes closer.

But it isn't the council's $3 billion. A profit-hungry private firm is designing, paying for and building the road. They will cut corners if it saves them $$$. The tolls I can live with, but the shotty workmanship I can't. An example of a privately owned road that has been built to a decent standard is the CityLink tollway in Melbourne. That is the sort of stuff I want to see in Brisbane!

http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/melbourne_citylink/images/1_citylink31k.jpg

http://img.buzznet.com/assets/users9/timijimi/default/large-msg-113655155797-2.jpg

But all we will be getting is stuff like this:
http://www.bh.com.au/images/news/115Pullout.jpg

The gateway was built as a private scheme as well and considering it is 20 years old it is holding up OK.....

Citylink is overated.... The tunnels leak, it is way too farking expensive and it is a carpark 6-8 hours a day.... All the travel times that are advertised are at 2am, not when most people use it.

It is however usually better than the alternatives, especially since the conglomerate that is city link forced all the councils to change the clearways and no standing lanes when it was built, ie Toorak Rd and Mt. Alexander Rd for example....

Citylink is overated.... The tunnels leak, it is way too farking expensive and it is a carpark 6-8 hours a day.... All the travel times that are advertised are at 2am, not when most people use it.



You know what they say, if it won't work, at least make it look good. They've certainly done that. CityLink is a fantastic gateway to Melbourne.

It works, but it certainly has problems. Airport needs a rail link, Yarra needs another crossing going west.

The idea of it looking good is appealing to car companies, they all make ads here in the sound tunnel at Flemington Rd but I don't know if it more of a distraction than it needs to be.........

However, back to topic...Anything to ease congestion on the rivercity expressway has to be good. Brissy has had some good projects in road departments lately, namely ICB, SE Busway and the new improved hwy to the goldie.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/zoomnorth.jpg
This picture clearly shows 2 lanes heading in both directions connecting Airportlink and the NSBT...
But it isn't the council's $3 billion. A profit-hungry private firm is designing, paying for and building the road
The Brisbane city council is contributing 1.5Billion dollars towards the NSBT...so that means it isn't totally privately owned!

That is the sort of stuff I want to see in Brisbane!

Thats highly unlikely...think about it, there is just no room unless you demolish house after house..tunnels are Brisbane's future and that pic that you showed was a crap example of the sort of tunnels we are getting...we are getting the futuristic modern ones, complete with public art scattered throughout the project...you should visit the site :)

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/tun1.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/tun2.jpg

if this interchange doesnt give brisbane a 'big city' feel, then i dont know what the bloody hell will :p

impressive beyond beleif.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/zoomnorth.jpg

But it isn't the council's $3 billion. A profit-hungry private firm is designing, paying for and building the road. They will cut corners if it saves them $$$. The tolls I can live with, but the shotty workmanship I can't. An example of a privately owned road that has been built to a decent standard is the CityLink tollway in Melbourne. That is the sort of stuff I want to see in Brisbane!

http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/melbourne_citylink/images/1_citylink31k.jpg

http://img.buzznet.com/assets/users9/timijimi/default/large-msg-113655155797-2.jpg

But all we will be getting is stuff like this:
http://www.bh.com.au/images/news/115Pullout.jpg

The first two pictures that you showed of what "we need" weren't even of the tunnel sections! You can't compare those pics (I'm not 100% familiar with the road, but aren't both those pics of viaducts??) to the NSBT!! It's not a fair or equal comparison to what we'll be getting.

Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham, England is pretty big.

But I don't think you need a road junction for a big city feel, they are usually ugly to tourists, but functional beauties to city freeks like us.
http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/images/richardwinskill/2005/08/12/spaghetti_junction.jpg

It looks like it goes from 4 lanes to:

1 lane contiues to inner city bypass,
2 lanes continuing toward the city, and
1 lane to NSBT.

I think it really should be:

1 lane continuing to ICB,
1 lane continuing to the city, and
2 lanes continuing through to NSBT

This picture clearly shows 2 lanes heading in both directions connecting Airportlink and the NSBT...

That's not what I'm complaining about (I should've worded my original post more clearly). I'm complaining about the fact that right after the gore point, a lane is dropped. What's the point of having 2 lanes going into the tunnel if one is dropped right after?


The Brisbane city council is contributing 1.5Billion dollars towards the NSBT...so that means it isn't totally privately owned!


That doesn't sound right to me. I thought they were contributing money to the Airport Link, with this one being built at no expense to taxpayers. And the BCC can't contribute $1.5 billion because the they have a borrowing limit of $400 million, and it has been stated publicly that they will not be borrowing anywhere near that much money (I think they're borrowing $70 million). But that's beside the point anyway. Private firms are DESIGNING the tunnel, and that's where corners get cut, and that's what I'm concerned about. This is a BOOT project, where BOOT stands for build, own, operate and transfer. So even if money was being put up by the BCC, the RiverCity Motorway consortium will design it, build it, they'll own it for 45 years and then after that time it will be transferred back into public hands and the tolls will disappear.


Thats highly unlikely...think about it, there is just no room unless you demolish house after house..tunnels are Brisbane's future


Of course I realise that. I was merely saying that I prefer surface freeways to underground freeways as they look far more impressive than tunnels in my opinion. Not once did I say that we "need" more surface freeways. I just like surface freeways. Is that a crime?


and that pic that you showed was a crap example of the sort of tunnels we are getting...we are getting the futuristic modern ones, complete with public art scattered throughout the project...you should visit the site :)


That picture was of Sydney's Cross City Tunnel, which only opened in 2005. It was also built by the same people who will be building the NSBT (Baulderstone & Hornibrook). The CCT is also nice and modern at the entrance, but it looks like that inside. As for the NSBT being futuristic, yeah the civic art at the tunnel portals is very nice (in fact I think it looks better than some of the civic art on Melbourne's freeways), but inside the tunnel, the walls will just be plain old shotcrete, just like many other road tunnels in Australia (such as the Domain/Burnely tunnels in Melbourne, the Beecroft tunnel on the M2 in Sydney etc.).
http://thecouriermail.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5121926,00.jpg

if this interchange doesnt give brisbane a 'big city' feel, then i dont know what the bloody hell will :p

impressive beyond beleif.

Yes it does look impressive, but it is a flawed design. People will look at it at and go "wow that looks cool", but spaghetti is not necessarily a good thing. Ever heard of the KISS principle? That definitley applies here. A reduced number of direct connections is safer and interchanges with direct connections are far more efficient.

This is how I'd do it:
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6166/untitled27qa.jpg

As for the NSBT being futuristic, yeah the civic art at the tunnel portals is very nice (in fact I think it looks better than some of the civic art on Melbourne's freeways), but inside the tunnel, the walls will just be plain old shotcrete, just like many other road tunnels in Australia (such as the Domain/Burnely tunnels in Melbourne, the Beecroft tunnel on the M2 in Sydney etc.).
http://thecouriermail.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5121926,00.jpg

Yes i have traveled many times in the harbour tunnel and the CCT and I agree with you by saying it is boring and uninspirational... although, I have updated the starting intro of this thread a bit...
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=8221475#post8221475
Have you seen the videos?? Watch them and you can see that the inside of the NSBT tunnel has got a curved circular shape to the tunnel making it look more spacious... that is what i am happy about...that we are not following sydneys ideas of square tunnels...

Also...did you make that map yourself? ^^

Everyone who is specifying how many lanes go to where should remember that you are only looking at the NSBT plans, not the new Airport Link draft plans. In those, there is only one lane from the Airport Link to NSBT.

Well, one lane for a short while, then 2 lanes:

http://www.brisbaneairportlink.com.au/images/map2.jpg

Have you seen the videos?? Watch them and you can see that the inside of the NSBT tunnel has got a curved circular shape to the tunnel making it look more spacious... that is what i am happy about...that we are not following sydneys ideas of square tunnels...
Are you joking? - I sure hope you are.
The shape of a tunnel has everything to do with the way it was built; plus as long as traffic fits inside, it fulfills it's purpose.

Also state/private interests are hardly going to waste money sprucing up road tunnels - and what if pannelling was to fall from the ceiling etc.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/zoomnorth.jpg
This picture clearly shows 2 lanes heading in both directions connecting Airportlink and the NSBT..

No that is just for the NSBT project only, without any consideration for the AP. The Airport Link website has more info, like the pics I posted a few pages back.

1 lane connection from the NSBT to Airport Link only

Are you joking? - I sure hope you are.
The shape of a tunnel has everything to do with the way it was built; plus as long as traffic fits inside, it fulfills it's purpose.

Did I say it wasn't!!! All I am clearly saying that I like the shape of the tunnel! Sydney's square looking tunnels have no character...and I prefer the circular shape... I don't think i can spell my opinion out more clear than that!!

Plus there's more public art at the entrances...

This is a BOOT project, where BOOT stands for build, own, operate and transfer. So even if money was being put up by the BCC, the RiverCity Motorway consortium will design it, build it, they'll own it for 45 years and then after that time it will be transferred back into public hands and the tolls will disappear.

That picture was of Sydney's Cross City Tunnel, which only opened in 2005. It was also built by the same people who will be building the NSBT (Baulderstone & Hornibrook). ]

45 years, 1/2 as long again as gateway and Airtrain, they are only 30 years ..........

Are you sure about Baulderstones????? My thoughts were Leightons....... :cheers:

45 years, 1/2 as long again as gateway and Airtrain, they are only 30 years ..........

Are you sure about Baulderstones????? My thoughts were Leightons....... :cheers:

The Gateway is owned by Queensland Motorways, a corporation run by the Queensland Government.

However you are correct, Airtrain is privately owned.

It will need that 'public art' if it wants any hope of redeeming its overall ugliness.

Just thought I'd add a bit about the shape of the tunnels.

The shape of a tunnel is determined by its method of construction. If it is a cut and cover tunnel, it will be square, if it is a driven tunnel (which the majority of the NSBT and Airport Link will be), it will be round, since the tunnel boring machine is round in shape.

Having said that, most of Sydney's tunnels are actually driven, despite being square in shape. The reason they look square is because flat panels have been installed over the rounded walls. The roof, however, is still round. If you take a bus between Buranda and Mater Hill busway stations in Brisbane, you will be able to see this for yourself. The tunnel just north of Buranda is a driven tunnel, yet it looks square like a cut and cover tunnel. But if you take a look at the roof, it's round. Another driven busway tunnel is the one between Mater Hill and South Bank stations.

The fact that the NSBT video shows our tunnels as being round indicates that there will be no panneling on the inside of our tunnels, so it will just be shotcrete city. Internally, our tunnels will look identical to the Melbourne tunnels (the picture I posted previously was a picture of the Domain/Burnley tunnels through the Melbourne CBD).

But I agree with SoulVisionQ1 on this... the rounded walls look much better.

45 years, 1/2 as long again as gateway and Airtrain, they are only 30 years ..........

Are you sure about Baulderstones????? My thoughts were Leightons....... :cheers:

The RiverCity consortium includes both of them. It's made up of Baulderstones, Leighton and ABN Amro.

The shape of a tunnel is determined by its method of construction. If it is a cut and cover tunnel, it will be square, if it is a driven tunnel (which the majority of the NSBT and Airport Link will be), it will be round, since the tunnel boring machine is round in shape.

Having said that, most of Sydney's tunnels are actually driven, despite being square in shape. The reason they look square is because flat panels have been installed over the rounded walls. The roof, however, is still round.

There are three methods of tunnel construction generally employed -
1) Cut and cover
2) Driven by road header
3) Bored by TBM

Cut and cover tunnels have to have lids put on them, so will normally be flat, but wide tunnels may get arched roofs.

Road headers basically cut out small bits of rock face at a time so the tunnel can be whatever shape is desired. The roof can be flat but more likely is arched (again). Ventillation systems are usually installed in this space so the tunnel ends up appearing to have a flat ceiling.

TBMs are round because they rotate and cut the entire face at once. These tunnels are round, but the floor will be filled with concrete to a particular level. By the time they're fully fitted out you wouldn't be able to tell the difference...

As an example, the Eastern Distributor in Sydney is a double-deck tunnel. The southbound carriageway has a flat "roof" because the northbound carriageway is directly above it. The northbound carriageway has an arched roof. But you couldn't tell that from driving in the finished product.

RE: Design Flaus of the Northern Portal of the ICB, including design proposal for Airport Link.

The current off-ramp that allows ICB East Bound traffic to exit on to Bowen Bridge Road to head inbound is removed - so consider the additional traffic that will exit the RBH Childrens Herston exit to then traverse inbound along Bowen Bridge Road to head to say Fortitude Valley - this RBH area is already conjected. This effects all vehicles that currently turn left out of Horace Street to head inbound on Bowen Bridge Road.

The current on-ramp that allows traffic near Campbell Street to enter the ICB and head West is also removed. Consider the effect this makes on a journey from Bowen Hills to Milton. This effects all vehicles that currently turn left out of Horace Street to head westbound on the ICB.

So there are still no provisions traversing from Bowen Bridge Road or Campbell Street to head East Bound on the ICB. Traffic wanting to go from Herston/Windsor to Ascot/Hamilton will continue to conjest the streets of Bowen Hills - and don't be expecting to use Campbell Street, that's not going to be there so you're chasing O'Connell Terrace (which is currently one way) and make sure you leave 30 minutes early at Ekka time! An off-ramp for ICB east bound traffic would be a nice to have also, but the only off-ramp here is the one that funnels into the NSBT. The current design includes elaborate on-ramp and off-ramps for the NSBT, with a slight modification of the design these same roads can be used to extend connectivity between ICB and feeder roads in this area, not just assisting funnel NSBT traffic.

In all the above design flaus, note that none of them effect the NSBT as the northern portal has been designed to allow for optimum flow and accessibility into and out off the toll road. The identified closure of a one current ICB off-ramp and one current ICB on-ramp will see greater conjestion on the road network that surrounds the Northern Portal and I question the motives of the design.

NSBT carried a full page ad in Melbourne papers this week in regards to it's upcoming float on ASX.

Has anyone on here opted to invest in it via the online form and BPay method?

There are three methods of tunnel construction generally employed -
1) Cut and cover
2) Driven by road header
3) Bored by TBM

Cut and cover tunnels have to have lids put on them, so will normally be flat, but wide tunnels may get arched roofs.

Road headers basically cut out small bits of rock face at a time so the tunnel can be whatever shape is desired. The roof can be flat but more likely is arched (again). Ventillation systems are usually installed in this space so the tunnel ends up appearing to have a flat ceiling.

TBMs are round because they rotate and cut the entire face at once. These tunnels are round, but the floor will be filled with concrete to a particular level. By the time they're fully fitted out you wouldn't be able to tell the difference...

As an example, the Eastern Distributor in Sydney is a double-deck tunnel. The southbound carriageway has a flat "roof" because the northbound carriageway is directly above it. The northbound carriageway has an arched roof. But you couldn't tell that from driving in the finished product.

I know the models are not 100% accurate, but they had a rectanglular lining inside the circular tunnel which housed 'stuff' needed for the tunnel like wiring, ventelation access to the stacks etc.

YES!!! THE 20TH OF AUGUST (DAY AFTER EKKA FINISHES) THE NSBT OR CROSS CITY TUNNEL (the newish name) WILL START!!

The two drill machines won't start until a year or two because they need to be manufactured in Germany...but construction starts on the 20th...until they need to drill...Also, Amazingly the construction will be 24/7!! working day and night! Producing 1 whole truckload of rock an hour that will be used to build Brisbane's new parallel runway...

^^Good to see that the developments are helping each other:)

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/NSBTpics.jpg
Tunnel cash grab

Steven Wardill, state political correspondent

July 19, 2006

THOUSANDS of motorists will be slugged with a $40 annual fee for failing to use Brisbane's new north-south bypass tunnel when it is completed in 2010.

A clause in the contract between Brisbane City Council and RiverCity Motorway allows the consortium to levy a minimum-usage fee on motorists who use the tunnel infrequently.

The fee will hit motorists who install the e-toll transponder in their vehicles so they can travel through the cashless tunnel and then fail to use it enough.

Under the contract agreement, RiverCity Motorway can penalise motorists with the $40-a-year fee if they don't use their transponder at all or charge the difference if they use it less than the minimum amount.

The fee will rise annually as the council has allowed the consortium to link it to inflation.

Brisbane City Council transport spokesman Graham Quirk yesterday defended the fee, saying there were payment alternatives to e-tolls for casual users, such as toll cards and number plate recognition.

Cr Quirk said he expected most motorists would get a transponder as $40 was the equivalent of only 12 trips based on current toll prices.

"You do want people to get them but $40 over 12 months is pretty minimal," he said.

The State Government-owned Queensland Motorways was this year set to charge e-toll users a similar fee of $10 a quarter for failing to use the Gateway and Logan toll roads.

However, the fee has been withheld and is now being reviewed because of fears it will convince people not to adopt the e-toll technology, which allows greater numbers of vehicles to use toll roads at peak times.

New figures reveal more than 70,000 minimum usage fees would have hit motorists already this year had the decision to implement the charge gone ahead.

In the March quarter, 14,838 motorists would have been hit with the full $10 while 17,347 motorists would have been hit with a partial fee.

The figures rose in the June quarter with 22,860 transponders registered as inactive while a further 17,122 would have been hit with a fee of less than $10.

A Queensland Motorways spokeswoman said the toll operator was now working with the Department of Main Roads and Queensland Treasury to review the minimum usage fee.

She said there was no plan to link the fee to inflation.

Transport Minister Paul Lucas said he was likely to dump the fee when the Gateway Bridge and its duplicate become fully electronically tolled in 2011.

"Many organisations have monthly fees or minimum usage charges, so there is nothing new about this," Mr Lucas said.

"Each transponder costs about $50 and we need to have some mechanism so people don't treat them as throwaway goods."

"But this is a situation where we need to think laterally."

Opposition transport spokesman Michael Caltabiano said both minimum usage fees should be dumped.

"I don't support a minimum usage charge on tolls," he said.

For fucks sake! Campbell fucking N00bman has signed Brisbane away to the sake bullshit style contract as the Cross City Tunnel! :bash:

This $40 dollar shall we say "fare" is a way to get people in the habit of using it more often, I have no problems with that. If you don't like that, you simply don't have to use it... that's my opinion...

I think the $40 price is completely reasonable. You would only need to use the tunnel approximately 10 times in the year and after that you wouldn't need to pay anything. BTW, you would not NEED the electronic tag to go through the tunnel, there is number plate recognition software, so you can ring up either before or after and pay that way. The tags cost money. In other words if you use the tags you don't pay the fee, and if you don't use the tags you pay the fee.

It's like a phone contract...you pay $40 a year for the ability to use it and you get $40 worth of free use!!!

umm the Q. Motorways tag doesn't have an annual fee does it? So you just get it instead. The contract will similarly say that all the e-tolling systems must be interoperable without surcharge.

I'm pretty sure they had a fee, have cancled it, and will bring it in in time for the tunnel opening.

City North News
JULY 20: The private consortium building the North-South Bypass Tunnel plans to start major work in Bowen Hills the day after the Ekka ends.

RiverCity Motorway director Peter Hicks confirmed August 20 as the date significant work would begin in Bowen Hills.

Land between Sneyd St and Lanham Ave has been resumed for the work site, where the two tunnel boring machines worth $40million each will be launched.

Mr Hicks said work would begin at the site on the tunnel's northern portal even though the machines would not be delivered for 18 months.

``There's preparatory work,'' Mr Hicks said.

``Significant work will begin straight after the Ekka.''

Mr Hicks said once the tunnel opens in 2010, traffic on surface roads would be at about current levels.

But he said without the tunnel Main St would turn into a carpark and traffic would increase on Newmarket Rd regardlessly.

``Traffic will increase on all the roads in Brisbane.

So you can't blame the North-South Bypass Tunnel for increasing the traffic in Brisbane,'' he said.

RACQ's Ken Willet said traffic on roads between the tunnel's portals would drop but feeder roads would become more congested.

``That's what their product disclosure statement to investors is saying,'' Mr Willet said.

``They're saying: `Invest in this because congestion is going to get worse on the surface'.''

^^ yeah, I want to invest in it...

if this interchange doesnt give brisbane a 'big city' feel, then i dont know what the bloody hell will :p

impressive beyond beleif.

Dont know if this has been mentioned before, but Ive heard a fairly concrete rumour that the new Logan/Ipswich interchange will have six layers. Maybe these wont be directly on top of one another but even something on that scale still sounds impressive.

^^

More likely to be a 3 level mini stack....

Western Freeway/ Centenary M5/M2 Ipswich MWY Interchange
Proposed Interchange (PDF Document) (http://www.mainroads.qld.gov.au/MRWEB/Prod/Content.nsf/b495dab138a6b17a4a256a42001c8f4f/d807c6fcc98b44634a25713500327194/$FILE/Ipswich_Motorway_Draft_design_Part01.pdf)

Ipswich Motorway M2 / M6 Logan Motorway Interchange
Diagram of proposed interchange (PDF) (http://www.mainroads.qld.gov.au/MRWEB/Prod/Content.nsf/9c21ba57bb0b750f4a256a6900006d12/d66b43b706f02c084a2570690018f5ab/$FILE/Project%20layout%20-%20Part%201.pdf)

Starting date: 20 August

RiverCity float takes plunge
Liam Walsh

August 04, 2006 12:00am
Article from: The Courier-Mail

RISING interest rates and a change of attitude towards infrastructure investments has been blamed for RiverCity Motorway Group's disappointing stock market debut yesterday.

The stock slumped 8 per cent, making it the latest big-ticket float to underwhelm investors in recent days.

Despite a robust day on the broader market, RiverCity hit the boards at 46.5¢ – a drop from the 50¢ issue price. The stock closed at 46¢ after dipping as low as 44.5¢.

More than six million of the partly-paid stapled securities or 1 per cent of the stock changed hands, which acting chief executive officer Peter Hicks said indicated investors were in for the long-term.

(Securities are worth $1, with the remaining 50¢ due in 12 months).

The debut made for a subdued atmosphere at the Brisbane stock exchange where management and the board had turned out for the midday opening.

Directors were soon putting on a brave face, with some sipping champagne while others stuck with juice, coffee or tea and sandwiches.

"I would have preferred to see it over 50¢, but we'll wait and see," chairman Bob Morris said. "We're confident in the fundamentals of the investment."

Asked why he thought it dipped, he said: "The general infrastructure market, interest rate pressures, all those things no doubt have some bearing."

The float had raised $690 million, with RiverCity speaking of strong demand.

However, some analysts and fund managers had been concerned about RiverCity's payment methods, traffic forecasts or risks involved in the one-asset project.

The Intelligent Investor managing director Steve Johnson said the float did not seem overly rushed.

RiverCity yesterday again declined to specify how much it could have raised.

Mr Hicks said the upcoming financial close and construction start would make RiverCity more meaningful to the market.

But Opis Capital portfolio manager Rob Frost said: "There's not a lot of buying out there.

"The market sentiment out there for infrastructure stocks is pretty poor. Infrastructure stocks are interest rate-sensitive."

This is partly because higher interest rates can negatively affect valuations for infrastructure.

Burrell Stockbroking research analyst Bruce McLeary said the result was not surprising given two other big floats – toll road group Sydney Roads and construction-mining equipment group Emeco – had debuted at a discount.

He also said a pessimistic lead-up to the reporting season might have impacted as investors await results and commentary. "That didn't really help it (RiverCity) along its way," he said.

The overall market appetite for infrastructure projects varied according to pricing and the specific operation, he said.

Mr McLeary said RiverCity shares might trade similar to Melbourne toll-road group ConnectEast. It has remained in a relatively narrow band since listing in 2004.

He said shares could lift as the tunnel neared completion, as long as there were no construction problems.

"Particularly Brisbane-based investors, they'll be seeing the construction of it, they'll be hearing about it – that might generate some interest," he said.

The key milestone was when the tunnel opened for traffic, and would be affected by whether people drive through it and if the toll was too expensive, he said.

Start date is as shown.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/NSBT.jpg

^^ "Sustainable traffic" seems like a paradox to me.

Yay...construction starts on Saturday!!!

Those stocks are only going to keep heading downwards methinks. Maybe they will rise and stabilise during construction, but I predict pretty poor patronage once it opens.

Original Article from The Courier Mail (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20235398-3102,00.html)

Tunnel works to close roads
Chris Griffith, Online reporter
August 24, 2006 10:30am

A MILESTONE occurs on Saturday when the first surface work on the North South Bypass Tunnel begins at Bowen Hills. Motorists can expect pain from the associated road closures.

After the closures this weekend, a massive demolition exercise will begin to knock down buildings, and construction hordings and fences will be erected along what was once a busy commercial area.

The demolished buildings will be replaced by construction site sheds and, according to Lord Mayor Campbell ******, tunneling will begin either late this year or in early 2007.

Cr ****** said the tunnel boring machines needed at the Bowen Hills' tunnel portal were being ordered.

Already Campbell Street at the affected areas looks an empty shell compared to what it was.

Businesses along the streets have either moved or are about to close and move. Some are yet to find new premises.

Sources told The Courier-Mail that some businesses along Campbell, Sneyd, and Lanham Streets in Bowen Hills are yet to finalise resumption payouts, despite being in negotiation with the Brisbane City Council for two years.

There is a possibility that some of the landholders along the closing streets will head to court to battle the council over the resumption payout they will receive, the date they move, and relocation expenses.

One of the issues confronting businesses being forced to leave is a huge disparity in the amount council has paid to resume similar sized land. It is understood the amounts for similar parcels of land have varied between $400,000 and $1,1 million.

There are also claims that the council would have saved millions of dollars had resumption payouts been finalised a year or more ago -- before some substantial land price rises.

Brisbane City Council has released a detailed map of the permanent closures which are shaded.

From this weekend, Campbell Street in Bowen Hills will no longer be a through road, Lanham and Sneyd Streets will be closed, and there will be resumptions nearby Horace Street around the region of Empire Furniture, where the orientation of an off ramp connection to the NSBT will be changed.

Campbell Street will be closed from the railway line next to Queensland Newspapers through to Wren Street, not far from the RBH.

The shaded area of the map is where the council will build the northern entrance to the NSBT between Lanham Street and Sneyd Street.

An administration building for the project is planned, and a 60 metre ventilation tower is expected to be built next to the railway line.

Motorists who use Campbell Street generally have the option of using nearby O'Connell Terrace as an alternative.

But those who normally travel along Campbell Street onto the ICB and head westward will have no means of entering the ICB at Bowen Hills.

Cr ****** said he accepted that motorists would be disadvantaged by the closure of the ICB entrance.

They could not use O'Connell Terrace to travel to the ICB via Bowen Bridge Road because there was no right hand turn allowed onto the ICB from Bowen Bridge Road.

They could enter the ICB at Abbotsford Road near Perry Park, or abandon using the ICB and turn right from Brookes Street into Gregory Terrace and travel along it instead.

Cr ****** said he understood the RiverCity Motorway Consortium building the tunnel would take possession of constructions areas for the other portals before Christmas.

The other portals were at Shaftston Avenue at Kangaroo Point, and at Woolloongabba.

I have some comments to highlight design flaws of the Northern Portal of the NSBT, including the design proposal for Airport Link.

The closure of this on-ramp near Campbell Street preventing an entry to traverse the ICB west bound has significant implications for the large number of vehicles who currently use that on-ramp. Council has not publicly advised how many vehicles will be inconvenienced. This is a permanent closure; there is no provision in the final design to allow traversing from Bowen Hills to head east bound on the ICB in any future designs.

Traffic in the local vicinity of Bowen Hills and Fortitude Valley will have to find alternative methods of travelling west. This inconvenience will not be encountered by traffic travelling coming out of the NSBT. The on-ramp will be fully accessible for traffic coming out of the NSBT.

With slight modifications to the design, the northern portal can extend connectivity and traffic flow from the ICB to adjacent feeder roads in this area, the current design favours flow in to and out of the NSBT traffic – does this constitute traffic funnelling?

I would like to also point out that in the future, the off-ramp that allows ICB east bound traffic to exit on to Bowen Bridge Road to head inbound is to be removed when the NSBT access roads are constructed - this will cause a considerable increase in traffic that will take the earlier Herston exit adjacent to the RBH Children’s hospital and congest the intersection at Bowen Bridge Road. This area is already struggling to cope with flow and will not handle the additional influx of vehicles. There are only three options to exit the ICB from the west at the northern portal, two off-ramps enter the toll roads of NSBT and Airport Link and the other is Bowen Bridge north bound. The design fully caters for accessibility to the toll roads and prevents access to Bowen Hills and Fortitude Valley.

In all the above design flaws, note that none of them restrict access to the NSBT as the northern portal has been designed to allow for optimum flow and accessibility into and out of the toll road. The closure of this on-ramp and future restrictions made to the off-ramp will see greater congestion on the road network that surrounds the Northern Portal and favour increasing accessibility to roads that raise revenue.

Who is going to take a stand and ensure that a private consortium does not have the privilege to remove accessibility of our ICB to build their motorway?

I couldnt think of a more colissal waste of money!!
IMO tunnel traffic from SE Fwy to Bradley HWY over storey bridge then under valley reentering tunnel before ann street with connecting off ramp and onto to the current future airport link with large ICB intersection over Bowen Hills Train Yards and better local street access.. and there you have it youve just safed yourself $1-2 billion dollars!!! Maybe its all these years of playing simcity but god I should be in city planning!!

I saw a doco on cable some time ago about some project in Europe. The TBM's when they arrive take around 4 months to setup. So don't expect any majr tunneling until next year. I think the remainder of this year will be tunnel portal setup etc.

Also, I wish they would update the NSBT website - its very out of date.

^^ Its not that out of date... yeah your right that the digging machines haven't even been made in Germany. What they are doing now is clearing.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/0522398300.jpg
Roads now closed

August 24, 2006 10:30am
Article from: The Courier-Mail

BUSY Campebll Street is among several roads that have permanently closed or been cut in Bowen Hills to allow the first surface work on the North South Bypass Tunnel.

In the next few weeks, a massive demolition exercise will begin to knock down buildings, and construction hordings and fences will be erected along what was once a busy commercial area.

The demolished buildings will be replaced by construction site sheds and, according to Lord Mayor Campbell ******, tunneling will begin either late this year or in early 2007.

Cr ****** said the tunnel boring machines needed at the Bowen Hills' tunnel portal were being ordered.

Already Campbell Street is an empty shell compared to what it was.

Businesses along the streets have either moved or are about to close and move. Some are yet to find new premises.

Sources told The Courier-Mail that some businesses along Campbell, Sneyd, and Lanham Streets in Bowen Hills are yet to finalise resumption payouts, despite being in negotiation with the Brisbane City Council for two years.

There is a possibility that some of the landholders along the closing streets will head to court to battle the council over the resumption payout they will receive, the date they move, and relocation expenses.

One of the issues confronting businesses being forced to leave is a huge disparity in the amount council has paid to resume similar sized land. It is understood the amounts for similar parcels of land have varied between $400,000 and $1,1 million.

There are also claims that the council would have saved millions of dollars had resumption payouts been finalised a year or more ago -- before some substantial land price rises.

Brisbane City Council has released a detailed map of the permanent closures which are shaded.

From this weekend, Campbell Street in Bowen Hills is no longer a through road, Lanham and Sneyd Streets are closed forever, and there will be resumptions nearby Horace Street around the region of Empire Furniture, where the orientation of an off ramp connection to the NSBT will be changed.

Campbell Street is now permanently cut in two from the railway line next to Queensland Newspapers through to Wren Street, not far from the RBH.

The shaded area of the map is where the council will build the northern entrance to the NSBT between Lanham Street and Sneyd Street.

An administration building for the project is planned, and a 60 metre ventilation tower is expected to be built next to the railway line.

Motorists who use Campbell Street generally have the option of using nearby O'Connell Terrace as an alternative.

But those who travel along Campbell Street onto the ICB and head westward will have no means of entering the ICB at Bowen Hills, and may be better off not trying to use it.

Cr ****** said he accepted that motorists would be disadvantaged by the closure of the ICB entrance.

They could not use O'Connell Terrace to travel to the ICB via Bowen Bridge Road because there was no right hand turn allowed onto the ICB from Bowen Bridge Road.

They could enter the ICB at Abbotsford Road near Perry Park, but this represents is a long way to travel to the next onramp.

They could abandon using the ICB and turn right from Brookes Street into Gregory Terrace and travel along it instead.

Cr ****** said he understood the RiverCity Motorway Consortium building the tunnel would take possession of constructions areas for the other portals before Christmas.

The other portals were at Shaftston Avenue at Kangaroo Point, and at Woolloongabba.

after years of talk, finally this is getting off the ground (under it i should say). i like seeing progress

jee, i didnt realise it was so close to taking off

There's been shocking traffic over all surrounding roads recently. I hope it's the rain and not the road closures, otherwise locals will be in for a miserable 3/4 years.

Maybe they should call this the "Campbell ****** North-south Bypass Tunnel", after all, he is the lord mayor that made this happen.

^^ How come the name ****** has been blocked in all the posts, including mine.

have a look in the "About the forums" forum.

But in the mean time you can copy and paste this if you like:

Nеwman

There's been shocking traffic over all surrounding roads recently. I hope it's the rain and not the road closures, otherwise locals will be in for a miserable 3/4 years.

its definately the rain. the crowds on the trains have been far less this week due to the rain. i got a seat every day!

Happy to see this finally underway!

Maybe they should call this the "Campbell ****** North-south Bypass Tunnel", after all, he is the lord mayor that made this happen.


Jim Soorley wanted to build this tunnel over 4 years ago, it should be named after him.

The Soorley tunnel...lol

I think it should be named The North-South Distributor or just the NSBT. I think they are two safe and nice sounding names.

i think it should be called Rivercity Motorway with the airport link continuing with its name! NSBT sounds crap!

^^ But there's the ICB and it would make sense if it was the NSBT... NSBT, ICB. Anyway doesn't matter for 3 years.

I like the idea of Cross City tunnel, Airport Link and Western tunnel for the three tunnels on the cards ATM.

The only thing i don't like about Airport Link is that theres the bit after the NSBT that merges into one lane before becoming two again before the tunnel, doesn't sound good for continuing traffic to mix with oncoming traffic (from off/on ramps etc) to merge on one lane.

^^ But there's the ICB and it would make sense if it was the NSBT... NSBT, ICB. Anyway doesn't matter for 3 years.

Ive just got a gripe with major brisbane artery roads changing names and sometimes route no's.

eg Gympie Rd - Lutwyche Rd - Bowen Bridge Rd

Pacific Mwy (M1) - Pacific Mwy (M3)

Gateway Mwy (M1) - Gateway Mwy (M6)

It doesnt make sense

^^ The tunnel and road itself should be called the the M# assigned to it.

The Gateway and Logan MWY's should be rebadged to M80 or M25 (Ring Road) and then the Western FWY M5 etc....

^^ i dont understand how M80 or M25 makes sense? please explain? lol

The Ring Roads in cities like Melbourne M80 or London M25. The Gateway and the eventual Western Bypass should all share the same M#.... A bit off topic.

^^ When our Ring Road is finished, it may just keep Route 1, or it may possibly have the M1 route designator placed on, as it is single-carriageway standard, but when it gets to Dual-Carriageway, then it'll be the Douglas Motorway I guess.

But will this road be a MetRoad, State route or just straight out Motorway route.

^^ i reckon a Metroad. Metroads can also be motorways but seen as though the tunnel will be 80km/h, i dont think it will be given motorway status despite the fact it should. No Stopping high speed road!

Ohhh! NEW WEB SITE!!!

http://www.rivercitymotorway.net.au/
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/0c92a04462c8a7a10a5a954b32018709.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/3c1afa2ca24371eab3f1854418df6c1c.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/8ac525d579896336e7a2530e32c508a3.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/8c9bf1b2a9ebe506683761b5fd7b78fe.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/934f810eb367ee60d6847ab1fab9f955.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/97575a5dff1f673247d45e32b42514ba.jpg

Very very good site! I would say the best Motorway site in Aus!

Cool site and nice new renders.

The Southern connection ( Via Pacific motorway )
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/Southernconnectionzoomout.jpg
Zoom up...
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/Southernconnectionzoomup.jpg

Do you guys notice that in the plans for the southern portal, the Pacific Motorway is 4 lanes northbound?

Is RiverCity Motorway funding an upgrade(Tullamarine Fwy/Monash Fwy/Westgate Fwy style)

Ive just got a gripe with major brisbane artery roads changing names and sometimes route no's.

eg Gympie Rd - Lutwyche Rd - Bowen Bridge Rd

Pacific Mwy (M1) - Pacific Mwy (M3)

Gateway Mwy (M1) - Gateway Mwy (M6)

It doesnt make sense

No way, my favourite... Moggill Rd.

It really is about seven different roads, but because it sort of winds it way across SW Bris to Moggill

Should of been painted yellow like bricks to make it easy to follow.

NOTHING CAN STOP IT NOW! MUWHAHAHAHAHHAHA! :evil: Bring on Airportlink!!!
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/0523869900.jpg
START . . . Campbell ******, right, and motorway boss Peter Hicks turn the first sods of the tunnel project as Cr Graham Quirk looks on. Picture: Peter Wallis.
Historic day for NSBT tunnel

Michael Corkill
September 08, 2006 12:00am
Article from: The Courier-Mail

BRISBANE'S Liberal Lord Mayor Campbell ****** yesterday turned the first sod of the $3 billion North-South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT) with a shiny silver shovel he has kept at the ready for three years.
But the biggest moment in his political career was almost tarnished by City Hall rivalries.

Can do campbell clashed with Labor councillor Maureen Hayes after he accused Labor of delaying his attempts to ease traffic congestion.

He singled out Labor deputy mayor David Hinchliffe as one key obstacle in the TransApex tunnel and bridge vision.

"I wish Labor would get out of the way and let me deal with traffic congestion in Brisbane," he said.

"The big test for Labor is coming in the next three weeks – will they or won't they support the Hale St Bridge.

"They have been doing everything they can to undermine it, to stop it happening."

Cr Hayes interrupted the press conference to tell Campbell Labor supported the NSBT proposal, which began under former Labor lord mayor Jim Soorley.

"It did start when Jim Soorley was there and I congratulate you on carrying it forward but I don't think we should turn it into a terrible partisan political thing," Cr Hayes said.

Things got worse for Campbell outside the new RiverCity visitor's centre on Shaftston Ave at Kangaroo Point, where a lone protester, disgruntled Lutwyche mechanic Paul Kelsall, parked a truck with a sign accusing the lord mayor of stealing his land for the tunnel project.

But Campbell took it in his stride and turned the first sod on the project, with RiverCity Motorway chief executive officer Peter Hicks using his prized silver shovel, a 40th birthday gift from Liberal colleagues Cr Graham Quirk and former councillor Tim Nicholls.

It's engraving read: "Happy 40th Campbell. May all your tunnels be big ones."

The official ceremony signalled the start of work for the biggest of the TransApex tunnels, a 4.8km dual lane twin tunnel under the Brisbane River.

The digging would make way for tunnel boring next year.

The project was expected to be finished in late 2009 – 10 months earlier than first proposed – due to the early arrival of machinery from Germany.

After the official ceremony, both Cr Hayes and Labor's Cr Catherine Bermingham borrowed the lord mayor's silver shovel to turn their own sods.

^^ I still think the one lane on and off ramp is a farce. Oh well as long at it makes me money long term i'll be happy... ASX Code: RCY

Whoever wrote that article should lose their job.

Headline: "... NSBT tunnel" -- since when has it been called the North-South Bypass Tunnel tunnel? It's like those people who say ATM machine!

"Can do campbell" -- Should be Can do Campbell. Campbell is a name.

"It's engraving read..." -- "it's" is a contraction of 'it is'. So according to the Courier-Mail, "It is engraving read...". If they wrote "The shovel's engraving read..." then they would have been right to use the apostrophe. It should say "Its engraving read".

/nazi. (I bet someone will find a ton of errors in my post now :))

But it's great to see this project finally get underway.

Trent.

^^ dude i thought exactly the same thing. the whole column is riddled with puncuation errors! SACK THEM I SAY

It's the Courier Mail...What do you expect!!!

^lol. And I thought the Gold Coast Bulletin was bad. Half the time they don't use punctuation marks at all. The journalists get confused.

Ahhh, yeah I replaced all the "Newmans" with Campbell because there were ******* everywhere...

but thats the only thing i did.

Construction work near Shafston Av
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/8769/p9250040eh5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^ Thanks for the update! I wonder what that is? an exhaust stack?? or a temp construction building??

Check out this new "Brisbane Underground (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/indepth/date/0,,5003660,00.html)" Courier mail page... has all the articles ever made about most of SEQ's infrastructure projects.

Other TransApex news - courtesy ABC News:


Qld says Airport Link found to be viable

The Queensland Government says the business case for one of the state's biggest ever road projects shows it is financially viable.

Independent consultants have examined the planned Airport Link in Brisbane, which will cost about $3 billion by the time it is built in 2012.

The private sector will help fund the underground toll road, with tenders to be called next year.

But Treasurer Anna Bligh will not say how much money the Queensland Government is prepared to invest.

"Clearly when we enter into those commercial negotiations it's not in taxpayers' interests for me to be flagging our hand at this stage about how much money we might be able to put on the table," she said.

"But when those negotiations are complete we will make public all of the money that's coming from the state and the council."

Check out this new "Brisbane Underground (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/indepth/date/0,,5003660,00.html)" Courier mail page... has all the articles ever made about most of SEQ's infrastructure projects.

Hey, thanks for that. I am doing a uni assignment on this project, and we were supposed to collect articles on the mofo.

^^ That's ok, sounds like a fun project ;)

I wonder what they will do when the green space around the entrances which was resumed... when the NSBT is finished??
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/centralzu.jpg

Probably sell it to developers... I hope they make it a park!

FYI People the Central Area Access Point has now started... a bit of info.

WORK BEGINS ON QUEENSLAND'S LARGEST ROAD PROJECT
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/1163381178__frontpage600x399.jpg
Construction of Queenslands largest road project, the North-South Bypass Tunnel (NSBT) has now started at a number of locations along the 6.8km route.

Lord Mayor Campbell ****** marked the occasion at a sod turning ceremony at the Shafston Avenue worksite in Kangaroo Point. Joined by RiverCity Motorway Interim CEO Peter Hicks and Project Director Tony Spink, the Lord Mayor gave the official go-ahead for works to start on the $2 billion project.

?This is a key event in the life of the NSBT,? said Cr ******.

?Upon completion, the North-South Bypass Tunnel will significantly ease Brisbane?s traffic congestion and improve travel alternatives for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.?

The Lord Mayor also officially opened RiverCity Motorway?s new permanent Visitors? Centre in Kangaroo Point.

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/1163381649__page5600x400.jpg

The NSBT will feature a state-of-the-art electronic tolling system, designed to significantly reduce travel times for motorists by providing an uninterrupted journey.

This tolling system will eliminate the need to stop or slow down for toll plazas or cash toll booths thereby avoiding delays and traffic congestion commonly associated with toll roads.

The system will be compatible with other electronic toll roads in Australia including the Gateway Bridge.

The NSBT tolling system has been designed to cater for both the frequent commuter and casual visitor. Users will pay the toll by one of three methods:

1. Electronic tag
2. Video account
3. Casual user trip pass

1. Electronic tag

Designed for frequent commuters (more than 12 times a year) the electronic tag system is user-friendly and is currently used at many tolling points around Australia.

The tag will be attached to the vehicle windscreen and will be activated as the driver passes through the tolling gantry.

2. Video account

The video account system will be suitable for users who want to use the NSBT more than five times a year, but not more than once a month.

Users can open a video account with RiverCity Motorway with no minimum usage requirements.

3. Casual user trip pass

Casual users, such as visitors, will be able to purchase a toll card at a range of retail outlets including 24-hour service stations, convenience stores and department stores. The vehicle?s registration is recorded at the time of purchase and the card allocates the vehicle a number of casual trips.

As the driver passes through the tolling gantry a video will record the number plate and match it with the pre-sold toll card.

In today?s dollars (2006), motorists will be charged at the following toll:

* cars - $3.70
* motorcycles - $1.85
* light commercial vehicles - $5.60
* heavy commercial vehicles - $9.85.

GOING UNDERGROUND
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/1163381628__Page4401x600.jpg

During the course of the project, hundreds of men and women will be working underneath the city streets to construct the NSBT.

Due to the local geology, particularly the hard Brisbane Tuff rock, a combination of tunnel excavation methods will be used including driven tunnelling and cut-and-cover tunnelling.

Two major types of tunnel excavation machinery will be used - the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and roadheader.

Tunnel machinery will be start excavation at a tunnel entry/exit point or be lowered down purpose-built construction access points. These excavation points will be enclosed in acoustically lined sheds to contain any noise and dust impacts on the local community.

In addition, a number of structures will be built on the surface to link the new underground road with the existing road network such as the ICB, Lutwyche Road and the Pacific Motorway (M3). These structures include pedestrian bridges, road bridges, underpasses and overpasses.

INTERACTIVE VISITORS' CENTRE NOW OPEN
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The RiverCity Motorway NSBT Visitors? Centre is a state-of-the-art information centre designed to keep the Brisbane public informed throughout every step of this major project.

Officially opened on September 7 2006 by the Lord Mayor Campbell ******, the centre features models of the finished tunnels, artist impressions, maps and drawings, photography and short construction videos.

The NSBT Visitors? Centre replaces the temporary centre in Elizabeth Street and is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and on Saturdays by request. The centre is located at Leckhampton House, 59-69 Shafston Avenue, Kangaroo Point.

Hopefully the share price will start to go up over the next few years.

Has anyone checked out the RCM (RCY) Visitors Centre??

No, but it looks interesting, I woudnt mind popping in one day.

Okay so how in the HELL are tourists supposed to know where to buy a tag from its not like its the kind of thing you think of when you first arrive somewhere specially as its gonna be part of the airport link 'oh wait honey before we pick up the rental car we must go find a retail outlet to purchase our e-toll visitor pass!' HELLO??????????

Okay so how in the HELL are tourists supposed to know where to buy a tag from its not like its the kind of thing you think of when you first arrive somewhere specially as its gonna be part of the airport link 'oh wait honey before we pick up the rental car we must go find a retail outlet to purchase our e-toll visitor pass!' HELLO??????????

no, not before but when you pick up the rental car just like other cities...

^^ thats right! look how many toll roads sydney has... The harbour tunnel, harbour bridge, CCT and in melbourne that airport freeway has a toll... so it wouldn't affect anyone from that stand point.

FYI People the Central Area Access Point has now started... a bit of info.

WORK BEGINS ON QUEENSLAND'S LARGEST ROAD PROJECT

In today?s dollars (2006), motorists will be charged at the following toll:

* cars - $3.70
* motorcycles - $1.85
* light commercial vehicles - $5.60
* heavy commercial vehicles - $9.85.

GOING UNDERGROUND


With those tolls, it'll be as successful as the Cross-City Tunnel has been here in Sydney (the car and motorbike tolls above are about what was originally charged).

Expect it to be a thorn in the Qld Government's side... Hopefully it pushes funding more towards PT...

It won't be as bad as the Cross-City tunnel as there won't be as many people deliberately avoiding it, it will be much cheaper to go through the tunnel, and they are not funneling traffic through the tunnel, and as a generaliseation people are all for this tunnel.

This is a Council project, not a state government project. So Campbell New man will take the fall for this at the next election if it fails, NOT the state government.

That said, I'm also a bit sceptical about this project. Charging this much when there is a free and traffic-light-free alternative (when you're going north anyway) that already exists is asking for trouble IMO. But if you ask me, the problems with the CCT in Sydney were due to the company being extremely greedy. They did everything they could to piss motorists off - closing streets, reducing 6 lane streets to just 1 lane for cars each way, charging ridiculous prices for just a 2 km road etc. IMO, the RiverCity Motorway consortium have been quite good to the residents of Brisbane. They're actually increasing the number of lanes on the Pacific Mwy and Lutwyche Road and the interchanges are of high quality (compared to the CCT, which has really poorly designed connections to the Western and Eastern Distributors). If the project does fail, it will be because of the high toll prices. But they aren't anywhere near as bad as the CCT. The CCT is just 2 km long, the NSBT is like 6 km, so the toll prices on a per km basis are quite low compared to Sydney's tollways.

Trent.

I am considering applying for a job in the tunnel next year. Who is the contractor? Leighton?

Leighton is part of the group, Baulderstone is in there plus one other. It'll be on the website (http://www.rivercitymotorway.net.au) I think.

Cool, i'll have a look. Thanks! :cheers:

^^ You would make a lot of money!

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i16/soulvisionQ1/1163381649__page5600x400.jpg
^^ Where is this? What road is that? Eastlink? It looks like Australia but I don't know of any tollways under construction in rural areas.

^^ Where is this? What road is that? Eastlink? It looks like Australia but I don't know of any tollways under construction in rural areas.

I think that is part of the Westlink M7 in Sydney's western suburbs. It was completed in December last year.

^^ You would make a lot of money!
Yeah i've heard a few rumours about what they're paying. I did underground mining for 7 years, so i'm no stranger to that kind of work. :)

^ what are they paying? if you don't mind saying... just out of curiosity...

The thing I am more thinking about or what has gotten me confused is how are they gonna widen the tunnels when capacity is reached or a tunnel is often congested.

what are they paying? if you don't mind saying... just out of curiosity...

My mates dad used to work out at Century Mine, Fly-In, Fly-Out stuff, rostered on as on one week he works, then he gets the next week off.

He was getting paid within the range of $125'000 - $150'000 a year.

Then My Uncle out at Mt Isa used to work at Mt Isa Mines, though it was living there, and he was rostered on as working everyday except Sunday, and often had an RDO every two weeks. He was paid about $110'000 a year.

The thing I am more thinking about or what has gotten me confused is how are they gonna widen the tunnels when capacity is reached or a tunnel is often congested.

That is a good question. I don't think that for any practical purposes, that it's possible. I don't know of any projects where this has been done but I would presume if the need and cost were justified it would be easier to excavate the bottom of the tunnel and put another three lanes at the bottom, then put the original three lanes back on top making the tunnel double decker.

Does anyone know what their plans are in relation to expansion? Or is the aim to regulate toll prices to keep traffic in check?

That is a good question. I don't think that for any practical purposes, that it's possible. I don't know of any projects where this has been done but I would presume if the need and cost were justified it would be easier to excavate the bottom of the tunnel and put another three lanes at the bottom, then put the original three lanes back on top making the tunnel double decker.

Does anyone know what their plans are in relation to expansion? Or is the aim to regulate toll prices to keep traffic in check?

I would say it would be easier and cheaper to just build a whole new Bypass tunnel to bypass the NSBT but something like that isn't even worth thinking about because something like that is at least 30 years away (unless the riverside expressway falls down(jk jk)).

Its hard to excavate in a tunnel that has traffic on it and its not like you can just close it.