Melbourne Road and Infrastructure Projects - Page 72

melburn21 · May 6th, 2012, 09:06 AM

seems you may be correct

Ten more years of stress until tunnel takes the pressure off

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mor...-1226347630709

LONG-suffering Melbourne drivers face at least another 10 years of chronic and worsening congestion before work is completed on a major tunnel project to clear Eastern Freeway traffic out of city streets.

Government sources said this week the Baillieu Government was "red hot" about making a start on the immense $9 billion project that would rival CityLink and the railway City Loop in its scope.

The 18km tolled road link could slash cross-town traffic levels through Fitzroy and Brunswick as well as down Hoddle St, and bring major benefits to Melbourne's western suburbs.

But despite committing $15 million in last week's Budget to start work on a business case for the project, the Government is facing huge difficulties in obtaining funding because of the economic downturn and Federal Government spending cutbacks.

Under the project - recommended four years ago by infrastructure consultant Sir Rod Eddington - a tunnel would be built to allow Eastern Freeway traffic to drive to CityLink without stopping, and then continue to the Western Ring Road near the Deer Park bypass.

Under Sir Rod's plan, the tunnel would act strictly as a city bypass, but also give trucks direct access to the Port of Melbourne rather than crawl through residential streets.

The tunnel would have no city exits or entrances between Hoddle St and the CityLink off-ramp at Flemington.

Sir Rod estimated the first section, from the Eastern Freeway to CityLink, would take 10 1/2 years to build once detailed planning began, with the entire project spanning 13 1/2 years.

Initial exploratory drilling work on the route, expected to begin this month, will mark the start of work on the business case - which includes investigating specific route and exit options, traffic levels, geotechnical findings and funding - and effectively starts the clock ticking on the project.

Sir Rod warned that steady growth in port freight and population growth was rapidly taking city roads to capacity.

He said an alternative river crossing was also imperative to lessen the city's dependence on the West Gate Bridge.

Sir Rod warned: "Doing nothing is not an option."

The Brumby government, which received the Eddington blueprint in 2008, carried out extensive planning and community consultation for the western section of the bypass, between the port and the Western Ring Rd, and submitted a request for federal funding in its final year of power.

But it showed no enthusiasm for a tunnel under Fitzroy, Carlton and Parkville - all ALP heartland suburbs - effectively consigning Hoddle St and northern suburbs streets to perpetual gridlock.

Infrastructure and business industry sources say the Baillieu Government is keen to move but is hampered by funding shortages.

Premier Ted Baillieu said in November the East-West Link, which would duplicate the Monash-to-West Gate freeway route to the north of the city, was a transport priority for the Government.

He announced Victoria would seek $30 million from the Federal Government's infrastructure fund to assist planning for what he described as a "once in a generation project that would transform the way people move around Melbourne in a way not seen since CityLink and the City Rail Loop were constructed".

Steven Wojtkiw, chief economist at the Victorian Employers' Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the Government had already begun planning work on what would be a massive engineering challenge, a task complicated by the fact that it would disrupt existing transport networks during construction.

"But the critical challenge is funding," he said.

"The Labor government to its credit commissioned the Eddington report, but chose to progress only the western part of the blueprint.

"I hope this Government has the appetite for looking at it in total."

Infrastructure giants Transurban and ConnectEast, which manage CityLink and EastLink, said the East West Link would be good for the city but both said a decision to tender for the work depended on the final plans.

Transurban spokesman Wes Ballantine said it came down to details.

"Until the details are finalised, it's impossible to say if we'd go for it," he said.

"The engineering challenges, and the analysis of traffic flows and provision of exit and entry ramps, are critical.

"And I think we're a long way off that."

The nation's peak infrastructure body says Federal Government input is essential.

Brendan Lyon, chief executive of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, said the Federal Government could afford to take on another $100 billion in liabilities and said it was time Canberra "got back on the infrastructure horse".

RACV public policy general manager Brian Negus said planning work on the East West Link should have started four years ago.

He said the link was one of the top three infrastructure priorities for the city, along with the completion of the northeast link of the Metropolitan Ring Rd and a Metro rail tunnel.

Mr Negus said the job would have to be a public-private partnership - meaning the road would be tolled in its entirety - but he said the costs were still so high that extra federal funding was essential.

"This is a city-shaping project," he said.

"The Federal Government collects 38c a litre in fuel tax, but delivers only a third of that to fund infrastructure.

"There is no excuse for them not to put in seed funding."

Sir Rod's construction timetable envisaged a start on planning in early 2009, leading to completion of the entire cross-city road network by mid-2022.

Subsequent delays mean that completion date has now extended to late 2025.

Sir Rod's report detailed a range of benefits for the city:

RELIEVING congestion on Hoddle St;

REDUCING east-west "rat-running" through suburban streets that can extend as far north as Bell St, Coburg;

ASSISTING north-south traffic flows, including buses and trams, on Royal Pde, and Lygon, Nicholson, Brunswick and Smith streets;

REDUCING the risk of transport catastrophe if the West Gate Bridge was closed for an extended period;

REDUCING Monash-West Gate Freeway peak-hour queues that can stretch from Laverton to Malvern;

IMPROVING accessibility to city jobs for western suburbs residents; and

BOOSTING industry and job investment in the western suburbs.

jarf · May 6th, 2012, 11:13 AM

Rod Eddington is a fucking moron.

The tunnel won't do a damn thing for Hoddle St (apart from at the intersection with the freeway, but even that's questionable), considering they go in different directions and will serve completely different purposes.

The tunnel will be useless for CBD access as well as access to any road other than the Tullamarine Freeway, meaning it'll be largely devoid of cars most of the time and will effectively only serve freight. I doubt there's that many trucks on the Eastern Freeway going to and from the port...

aussiescraperman · May 6th, 2012, 12:24 PM

it may give commuters travelling from the west a second option when heading into the city instead of the westgate bridge. peak hour in the morning stretches pretty far back to altona? agree it will do little to nothing for hoddle however. for cars travelling from eastern i know the majority of traffic is heading to the city, that's why i thought there would be at least 1 exit north of the city to at least give them another option of getting into the CBD. my family does do the drive a fair bit from the eastern to citylink through parkville, so it would be nice for them.

NoshowwithoutPunch · May 6th, 2012, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiescraperman

it may give commuters travelling from the west a second option when heading into the city instead of the westgate bridge. peak hour in the morning stretches pretty far back to altona? agree it will do little to nothing for hoddle however. for cars travelling from eastern i know the majority of traffic is heading to the city, that's why i thought there would be at least 1 exit north of the city to at least give them another option of getting into the CBD. my family does do the drive a fair bit from the eastern to citylink through parkville, so it would be nice for them.

Well it would be nice for me to see derms running lilydale to healesville again but guess what. We dont build transport infrastructure because it would be "'nice' for you, but coz we frigging have to, and even then not enough is done.

jarf · May 6th, 2012, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiescraperman

it may give commuters travelling from the west a second option when heading into the city instead of the westgate bridge.

Except it'd be a ridiculous way to travel into the city, since they'd have to travel through the port area onto Dynon Road or Footscray Road which really aren't much more convenient. And if they were to miss that exit, their only choice is to head northbound on the Tullamarine Freeway, or onto the Eastern Freeway...

Dockside · May 6th, 2012, 06:51 PM

If it gets trucks out of Footscray then im all for it.

aussiescraperman · May 6th, 2012, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoshowwithoutPunch

Well it would be nice for me to see derms running lilydale to healesville again but guess what. We dont build transport infrastructure because it would be "'nice' for you, but coz we frigging have to, and even then not enough is done.

thats why i put it at the end and not at the start of my paragraph.

Morjo · May 7th, 2012, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiescraperman

that's why i thought there would be at least 1 exit north of the city to at least give them another option of getting into the CBD.

It should be an underground city bypass. Having city exits from the tunnel to Nicholson St for example would cause peak hour grid lock in the tunnel (banked up traffic exiting) and would destroy any bypass offering the tunnel would offer.

Easing the journey into the city via car in peak hour should be discouraged.

ChrisJudd83 · May 7th, 2012, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morjo

It should be an underground city bypass. Having city exits from the tunnel to Nicholson St for example would cause peak hour grid lock in the tunnel (banked up traffic exiting) and would destroy any bypass offering the tunnel would offer.

Easing the journey into the city via car in peak hour should be discouraged.

The only way it will be financially profitable is if it has exits to the city which must however be vehemently opposed. There is only a fraction of eastern fwy traffic headed to the west. It is an extremely expensive way of relieving congestion in the inner city. An increase in BRT along the eastern fwy and hoddle st corridors would be more effective if there were dedicated bus lanes in place

NoshowwithoutPunch · May 7th, 2012, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiescraperman

thats why i put it at the end and not at the start of my paragraph.

Dont bother even saying it

aussiescraperman · May 7th, 2012, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoshowwithoutPunch

Dont bother even saying it

bully

NoshowwithoutPunch · May 8th, 2012, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussiescraperman

bully

Wouldnt bother saying that either. Try something constructive. Most of us come here to read something interesting about buildings, transport etc, not drivel.

Your opinion doesnt matter, nor does mine.

MisterMarcus · May 8th, 2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dockside

If it gets trucks out of Footscray then im all for it.

You can do that without building the SuperMegaTunnel though.

IIRC the original proposal way back at the start of all this was a short tunnel under Footscray linking Footscray Road with Sunshine Road, then upgrading of Sunshine Road and upgrading/straightening the Paramount Rd corridor.

Pretty simple and cheap, it's not disturbing too many people, and gets trucks off Footscray local roads.

Yardmaster · May 8th, 2012, 12:12 PM

My Melways (Ed. 39) shows a proposed tunnel from just west of the railway yards to south of Tottenham, near Paramount Parade: and a link from there to the Western Ring Road.

Getting the trucks out of Footscray would be good, but the tunnels need to be designed for it.

DAJAN · May 8th, 2012, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yardmaster

My Melways (Ed. 39) shows a proposed tunnel from just west of the railway yards to south of Tottenham, near Paramount Parade: and a link from there to the Western Ring Road.

Getting the trucks out of Footscray would be good, but the tunnels need to be designed for it.

Er, yes... that is the Western half of the proposed tunnel from Eastern Fwy to Western Ring Rd.
The previous government wanted to only do the western half which is why only that bit of it appears on the Melway

Morjo · May 9th, 2012, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yardmaster

Getting the trucks out of Footscray would be good, but the tunnels need to be designed for it.

Good point as not all trucks can use tunnels, or can they?

NoshowwithoutPunch · June 16th, 2012, 04:06 PM

Missed this one http://vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Road...nRoadStudy.htm

Is this code for finishing the mornington Peninsula fwy to blairgowrie? There is a reservation marked.

Kiwis complain about the holiday highway, this will be one.

Morjo · June 17th, 2012, 02:49 AM

The Monash and indeed the M1 in general is at capacity already I believe. During the day (working day) there is already too many vehicles using this route, plus the amount of trucks on it is staggering and it's getting worse (rather unsafe). I'm starting to support the idea of a rail freight link from Altona to Dandenong, this would have to be underground and obviously certain materials wouldn't be able to go through this underground rail system and still have to be transported by truck.

Morjo · June 17th, 2012, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoshowwithoutPunch

Missed this one http://vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Road...nRoadStudy.htm

Is this code for finishing the mornington Peninsula fwy to blairgowrie? There is a reservation marked.

Kiwis complain about the holiday highway, this will be one.

Not that I support the idea, but if Melbourne were to ever get a proper ring road then it would have to somehow cross from Point Nepean to the Queenscliff area. Having the M1 as the southern part of the ring road, which goes through the city isn't exactly what I'd call a proper ring road around the city.

NoshowwithoutPunch · June 17th, 2012, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morjo

Not that I support the idea, but if Melbourne were to ever get a proper ring road then it would have to somehow cross from Point Nepean to the Queenscliff area. Having the M1 as the southern part of the ring road, which goes through the city isn't exactly what I'd call a proper ring road around the city.

More courageous pollies would have built another westgate over the rip, joined up both so that you could go from the west of the state to the east without passing melbourne.

How many people actually understand there victorian geography? That gippsland is completely isolated from the rest of the state save a few mountain passes that are blocked in winter? That half the reason for the congestion on the monash is topographic, rather than purely urban? Melbourne might well have been the spot for a village,but it wasnt the first spot, sorrento was?

May 6th, 2012, 09:06 AM	#1421
melburn21 flame on. Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Melbourne Posts: 2,325 Likes (Received): 46	seems you may be correct Ten more years of stress until tunnel takes the pressure off http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mor...-1226347630709 LONG-suffering Melbourne drivers face at least another 10 years of chronic and worsening congestion before work is completed on a major tunnel project to clear Eastern Freeway traffic out of city streets. Government sources said this week the Baillieu Government was "red hot" about making a start on the immense $9 billion project that would rival CityLink and the railway City Loop in its scope. The 18km tolled road link could slash cross-town traffic levels through Fitzroy and Brunswick as well as down Hoddle St, and bring major benefits to Melbourne's western suburbs. But despite committing $15 million in last week's Budget to start work on a business case for the project, the Government is facing huge difficulties in obtaining funding because of the economic downturn and Federal Government spending cutbacks. Under the project - recommended four years ago by infrastructure consultant Sir Rod Eddington - a tunnel would be built to allow Eastern Freeway traffic to drive to CityLink without stopping, and then continue to the Western Ring Road near the Deer Park bypass. Under Sir Rod's plan, the tunnel would act strictly as a city bypass, but also give trucks direct access to the Port of Melbourne rather than crawl through residential streets. The tunnel would have no city exits or entrances between Hoddle St and the CityLink off-ramp at Flemington. Sir Rod estimated the first section, from the Eastern Freeway to CityLink, would take 10 1/2 years to build once detailed planning began, with the entire project spanning 13 1/2 years. Initial exploratory drilling work on the route, expected to begin this month, will mark the start of work on the business case - which includes investigating specific route and exit options, traffic levels, geotechnical findings and funding - and effectively starts the clock ticking on the project. Sir Rod warned that steady growth in port freight and population growth was rapidly taking city roads to capacity. He said an alternative river crossing was also imperative to lessen the city's dependence on the West Gate Bridge. Sir Rod warned: "Doing nothing is not an option." The Brumby government, which received the Eddington blueprint in 2008, carried out extensive planning and community consultation for the western section of the bypass, between the port and the Western Ring Rd, and submitted a request for federal funding in its final year of power. But it showed no enthusiasm for a tunnel under Fitzroy, Carlton and Parkville - all ALP heartland suburbs - effectively consigning Hoddle St and northern suburbs streets to perpetual gridlock. Infrastructure and business industry sources say the Baillieu Government is keen to move but is hampered by funding shortages. Premier Ted Baillieu said in November the East-West Link, which would duplicate the Monash-to-West Gate freeway route to the north of the city, was a transport priority for the Government. He announced Victoria would seek $30 million from the Federal Government's infrastructure fund to assist planning for what he described as a "once in a generation project that would transform the way people move around Melbourne in a way not seen since CityLink and the City Rail Loop were constructed". Steven Wojtkiw, chief economist at the Victorian Employers' Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the Government had already begun planning work on what would be a massive engineering challenge, a task complicated by the fact that it would disrupt existing transport networks during construction. "But the critical challenge is funding," he said. "The Labor government to its credit commissioned the Eddington report, but chose to progress only the western part of the blueprint. "I hope this Government has the appetite for looking at it in total." Infrastructure giants Transurban and ConnectEast, which manage CityLink and EastLink, said the East West Link would be good for the city but both said a decision to tender for the work depended on the final plans. Transurban spokesman Wes Ballantine said it came down to details. "Until the details are finalised, it's impossible to say if we'd go for it," he said. "The engineering challenges, and the analysis of traffic flows and provision of exit and entry ramps, are critical. "And I think we're a long way off that." The nation's peak infrastructure body says Federal Government input is essential. Brendan Lyon, chief executive of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, said the Federal Government could afford to take on another $100 billion in liabilities and said it was time Canberra "got back on the infrastructure horse". RACV public policy general manager Brian Negus said planning work on the East West Link should have started four years ago. He said the link was one of the top three infrastructure priorities for the city, along with the completion of the northeast link of the Metropolitan Ring Rd and a Metro rail tunnel. Mr Negus said the job would have to be a public-private partnership - meaning the road would be tolled in its entirety - but he said the costs were still so high that extra federal funding was essential. "This is a city-shaping project," he said. "The Federal Government collects 38c a litre in fuel tax, but delivers only a third of that to fund infrastructure. "There is no excuse for them not to put in seed funding." Sir Rod's construction timetable envisaged a start on planning in early 2009, leading to completion of the entire cross-city road network by mid-2022. Subsequent delays mean that completion date has now extended to late 2025. Sir Rod's report detailed a range of benefits for the city: RELIEVING congestion on Hoddle St; REDUCING east-west "rat-running" through suburban streets that can extend as far north as Bell St, Coburg; ASSISTING north-south traffic flows, including buses and trams, on Royal Pde, and Lygon, Nicholson, Brunswick and Smith streets; REDUCING the risk of transport catastrophe if the West Gate Bridge was closed for an extended period; REDUCING Monash-West Gate Freeway peak-hour queues that can stretch from Laverton to Malvern; IMPROVING accessibility to city jobs for western suburbs residents; and BOOSTING industry and job investment in the western suburbs. __________________ Happy little Melbournite...

May 6th, 2012, 11:13 AM	#1422
jarf Insane Gunzel Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bus Stop 9422 Posts: 994 Likes (Received): 54	Rod Eddington is a fucking moron. The tunnel won't do a damn thing for Hoddle St (apart from at the intersection with the freeway, but even that's questionable), considering they go in different directions and will serve completely different purposes. The tunnel will be useless for CBD access as well as access to any road other than the Tullamarine Freeway, meaning it'll be largely devoid of cars most of the time and will effectively only serve freight. I doubt there's that many trucks on the Eastern Freeway going to and from the port... __________________ Random Gunzel Insanity

May 6th, 2012, 12:24 PM	#1423
aussiescraperman Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Melbourne & Brisbane Posts: 1,031 Likes (Received): 0	it may give commuters travelling from the west a second option when heading into the city instead of the westgate bridge. peak hour in the morning stretches pretty far back to altona? agree it will do little to nothing for hoddle however. for cars travelling from eastern i know the majority of traffic is heading to the city, that's why i thought there would be at least 1 exit north of the city to at least give them another option of getting into the CBD. my family does do the drive a fair bit from the eastern to citylink through parkville, so it would be nice for them. __________________ i can only imagine

June 16th, 2012, 04:06 PM	#1437
NoshowwithoutPunch Registered User Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 2,775 Likes (Received): 118	Missed this one http://vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Road...nRoadStudy.htm Is this code for finishing the mornington Peninsula fwy to blairgowrie? There is a reservation marked. Kiwis complain about the holiday highway, this will be one. __________________ Genesis 19:12 Lord Riccardo translation. "And the Pilot of the Landing Craft asked 'have you any family? Pack the kombi van, put in the dog and the Monet print, and any sons and daughters in law you might have and get the fuck out! I have just transmitted the missile lock override codes to the mothership's server and we will be nuking this place from orbit.'"

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

May 6th, 2012, 06:51 PM	#1426
Dockside Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Inner Melbourne Posts: 3,626 Likes (Received): 18	If it gets trucks out of Footscray then im all for it.

May 8th, 2012, 12:12 PM	#1434
Yardmaster Registered Melbourne Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3,847 Likes (Received): 45	My Melways (Ed. 39) shows a proposed tunnel from just west of the railway yards to south of Tottenham, near Paramount Parade: and a link from there to the Western Ring Road. Getting the trucks out of Footscray would be good, but the tunnels need to be designed for it.

June 17th, 2012, 02:49 AM	#1438
Morjo Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 820 Likes (Received): 2	The Monash and indeed the M1 in general is at capacity already I believe. During the day (working day) there is already too many vehicles using this route, plus the amount of trucks on it is staggering and it's getting worse (rather unsafe). I'm starting to support the idea of a rail freight link from Altona to Dandenong, this would have to be underground and obviously certain materials wouldn't be able to go through this underground rail system and still have to be transported by truck.