West Connex Interchange Abject Failure.

[Glen]

I find on the drive from the M5 to Pyrmont the exit sign is ambiguous. It doesn't help that Google Maps seems to drop out through the tunnels.

I found the only little bit of ambiguity was some lapses in reaffirmation that you were still on the M8 once you'd left the M5.

The M what?

I'm just glad I can visualise the train map by reading the suburbs on the motorway walls.

[tonyp]

The M what?

I'm just glad I can visualise the train map by reading the suburbs on the motorway walls.

That's quite neat, knowing which suburb you're passing up above. I was disappointed at the 80 km/h speed limit. I was hoping for a bit of GTA.

Oops, just reminded that the thread title is "Abject Failure"!

[Merc1107]

Oops, just reminded that the thread title is "Abject Failure"!

C'mon, get in the spirit of things!

[tonyp]

C'mon, get in the spirit of things!

The way I'm reading the public feedback, it's a roaring success for users from western and southwestern Sydney, an abject failure for inner suburban residents trying to get out of their suburbs. The real loser is public transport, exacerbated by the new government subsidising motorway tolls. On the upside, there is a new metro to be running though it in a few years.

[boronia]

The new metro won't be of much use for people who travel along Victoria Rd, or whose destinations are not within the catchment of the stations.

[tonyp]

The new metro won't be of much use for people who travel along Victoria Rd, or whose destinations are not within the catchment of the stations.

Hopefully it might grab a few M4 commuters who now drive in from the west. The Bays Station is within 1 km walking distance from much of Balmain, Rozelle and north Annandale. The government should be stronger on enforcing the Victoria Road bus lanes.

[lunchbox]

^^^^^^^"The government" doesn't even know that the Traffic Management Centre is artificially delaying Inner West buses and their passengers, because the TMC hasn't told "the government". Witness Roads Minister Graham on Channel Nine News, 5.3.24, saying it might be dangerous to have vehicles queueing in the Interchange tunnels. He doesn't know that buses don't use the tunnels, because his TMC managers have avoided telling him!
Someone should be held to account - ie - sacked.
4536

[tonyp]

^^^^^^^"The government" doesn't even know that the Traffic Management Centre is artificially delaying Inner West buses and their passengers, because the TMC hasn't told "the government". Witness Roads Minister Graham on Channel Nine News, 5.3.24, saying it might be dangerous to have vehicles queueing in the Interchange tunnels. He doesn't know that buses don't use the tunnels, because his TMC managers have avoided telling him!
Someone should be held to account - ie - sacked.
4536

It is possible to take these matters up via the local member and alerting the media.

[Swift]

I still think the main issue is that the tunnel system has pulled traffic that used to enter the city from the south and shifted them to the Anzac Bridge, and that's now over capacity.

Time to recommission the Glebe Island Bridge for Victoria Rd.
In a way this is successful in giving the cosseted inner city set a taste of hardship.

[lunchbox]

PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO THE ROZELLE INTERCHANGE

Submission pro-forma at bit.ly/rozelleinquiry

5209

[Swift]

This cost over a billion and its actually made it worse for the immediate vicinity.
Knowing NSW, the inquiry will come up with recommendations on how to prevent it in future, which won't be followed.

[Glen]

My guess is the Inquiry will conclude that we just need to build one more "missing link".

[flitter]

The missing link from the M2 to the ANZAC bridge would be favourite.

Banning ramp metering would be a good outcome as everywhere this goes in it causes huge delays for local roads whilst making no difference to the motorway concerned.

[tonyp]

The whole problem is that the harbour tunnel is not yet complete. Until then, cross-harbour traffic has to use the Anzac Bridge. Until then, we have to sit it out. The government should at least work to facilitate bus movements, even though that will be at the cost of making general traffic even worse.

[flitter]

Unfortunately that won’t make much difference to the Victoria Road issue as north shore bound traffic from there going to the WHT will need to get down to City West Link to turn into it and will probably still use ANZAC Bridge.

Local (Balmain, Annandale, Leichardt, etc. ) traffic heading to the CBD will still be restricted by the lights at Rozelle Junction.

More buses from the inner west going via ANZAC bridge might help the CWL problem as the Parra Road buses that are predominately in place from south of CWL require a change to get to mid-CBD locations (Market St and King St) making driving too convenient for destinations in that area. Maybe that might knock on to more capacity from Vic Rd but that requires the ramp metering speed to be increased to help.

[Glen]

The whole problem is that the harbour tunnel is not yet complete. Until then, cross-harbour traffic has to use the Anzac Bridge. Until then, we have to sit it out. The government should at least work to facilitate bus movements, even though that will be at the cost of making general traffic even worse.

Oh dear you've really fallen for the motorway con "all we need is one more missing link".

There's always one more, they design them that way !!

[boronia]

Yes, the old "let's solve the problem by moving it somewhere else" trick. Max would be proud of them. Perpetuating job opportunities.

[tonyp]

Oh dear you've really fallen for the motorway con "all we need is one more missing link".

There's always one more, they design them that way !!

No, it's part of the same scheme and it's currently under construction. It's not an afterthought to try to correct problems from the first stage. That syndrome is when you build something and open it and find it doesn't work, so you think up something else to add to it that you promise will make it work - etc etc ad nauseam.

BTW, the beaches link from Balmain has been in the planning queue since the 1970s. It ain't exactly new.

[lunchbox]

Temporary "traffic counting" cameras (?) have been installed at a number of Drummoyne Victoria Road intersections and perhaps in other locations.....
5737

[Swift]

Part of Victoria Rd was originally earmarked to be the F3 corridor to a giant interchange in Ultimo. The Gladesville bridge and the Interchange in Hunters Hill was originally part of that and remains the only section built. It would likely have procluded the need for this underground interchange and the second harbour crossing as we already had one that is now an overpriced crossing for surface roads.
The elevated roadways that criss cross over Darling Harbour were likely part of this proposed Ultimo Interchange.

[Glen]

Oh dear you've really fallen for the motorway con "all we need is one more missing link".

There's always one more, they design them that way !!

No, it's part of the same scheme and it's currently under construction. It's not an afterthought to try to correct problems from the first stage.

But I'm sure after it's built, someone will be saying "we just need to build the missing link".

[tonyp]

But I'm sure after it's built, someone will be saying "we just need to build the missing link".

That's be the North Sydney to Seaforth section of course.

[Frances]

It'll be interesting to see if they take up the suggestion of reintroducing two way tolling on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and what the flow on effect from that might be.

[Transtopic]

It'll be interesting to see if they take up the suggestion of reintroducing two way tolling on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and what the flow on effect from that might be.

It's inevitable, as well as on the Harbour Tunnel and Eastern Distributor. You can't have differing tolls on the Harbour Bridge, Harbour Tunnel, Eastern Distributor and Western Harbour Tunnel, as that would distort cross harbour travel patterns with traffic gravitating to the cheaper crossing, rather than the most direct crossing for a particular journey. The tolls should all be the same. I expect that the Western Harbour Tunnel will take a lot of pressure off the other harbour crossings, as most of the traffic will be bypassing the CBD.

[Swift]

I thought this YouTube short was the Rozelle Interchange for a few seconds. Was it based off this roadway in America?
https://youtube.com/shorts/chDy1600l2Q? ... i_kV8AViji