"Canberra News, Views and Opinion"
Chief Minister Gallagher has let it be known the Majura Parkway construction is underway.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese today joined ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher to turn the sod on this critical road infrastructure project which will provide a continuous freeway link between the Federal Highway and Monaro Highway.
“Assessed and recommended by Infrastructure Australia, this new road is expected to generate long term economic, social and environmental benefits worth almost $1 billion,” Mr Albanese said.
“All up, Federal Labor has almost doubled annual infrastructure spending from $72 to $114 per resident in the nation’s capital. Indeed, the start of construction on the Parkway builds on the $18.5 million duplication for the Monaro Highway we opened last September.
“The start of construction on this nationally significant project will create 350 jobs and is the culmination of a persistent and passionate community campaign led by local MPs including Gai Brodtmann, Andrew Leigh, Mike Kelly and Senator Kate Lundy.
ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, also welcomed the progression of this significant infrastructure project for the Territory.
“The completed Majura Parkway will play a significant role in improving the main national and regional freight route,” the Chief Minister said.
“Surrounded by NSW, the ACT depends on the national freight network to access the goods that keep the ACT’s economy strong. It is anticipated that the amount of freight that will be carried on our roads will double over the next 10 to 15 years. The Majura Parkway alone is forecast to carry around 40,000 vehicles a day, including up to 6,000 trucks, by 2030.
“The ACT will also benefit from additional capacity on its road network. The Majura Parkway will help relieve traffic congestion on residential streets in the inner north and improve access for both local and interstate traffic to industrial areas like Fyshwick and to the Canberra Airport precinct.”
The project involves:
– 11.5km of new dual carriageway highway
– 11 bridges and 3 grate separated interchanges
– Dedicated on-road cycle lanes
[Photo courtesy @ALeighMP]
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72 to 114 is not almost double. (more like 60%)
What sods.
I’m all for the parkway and infrastructure.
But don’t feed me bullS#$t
I saw the picture and wanted to spew.
what happens if the bulldozer accidently starts moving, aside from damaging the black bag?
The project involves:
– 11.5km of new dual carriageway highway
– 11 bridges and 3 grate separated interchanges
– Dedicated on-road cycle lanes
Can you only go through the intersection when the grate is open?
I dunno, it looks like the sods are still standing to me.
Just so you know:
($144 million [Commonwealth] + $144 million [ACT]) / 11.5km = $25.0 million per kilometre.
goggles13 said :
I think I can see a HHGTTG reference somewhere in here.
goggles13 said :
I can’t see any bulldozer.
appropos the NBN posts…surely we can spend the money better on something else, its only those people who use roads during peak hours that will care, lets all ride bikes and spend the money on electric trams or something.
Although who will actually use this road? Trucks that are hauling stuff that should go by train? Skiiers from sydney? Plus a few people who live in gunghalin and work in Fyshwick or HQJOC
Completion date is mid 2016 which equates to approx 3.4 kms per year or about 300 metres a month.That’s about right going by ACT standards.
bundah said :
Fits in with the time taken for the Anzac Pde works.
bundah said :
By the time it’s finished, we’ll all have the NBN! Won’t need to drive!
I don’t see Mayor Rattenbury in the photo op.
Holditz said :
There was some dog excrement in Dickson he had to attend to.
This project is not ‘creating’ 350 jobs, it is employing 350 people (unless those people have been twiddling their thumbs at Centrelink, in which case I’ll cheerfully stand corrected). Can we just for once have a minister saying, “We’re building this because we think it’s a good idea”? These projects should employ as few people and spend as little money as possible to get the job done properly; less cost to the taxpayer and more workers available for other projects.
And oh, just a note to the wanker who angrily tailgated me through the 60 zone on Majura Rd last weekend. I don’t care that there wasn’t a single roadworker in sight. I’m not risking a fine and points of my licence just because you want to go faster than 60. Get used to it until 2016, or you might get a demonstration on how quickly I can stop my car.
Richard Bender said :
Well it is, your creative semantics not withstanding.
Holden Caulfield said :
Yes – I thought the word “up” is missing from the headline!
Pork Hunt said :
ok yellow grader
dtc said :
I will use it to get to the Federal Highway from the Monaro Highway.
Holditz said :
True, yet Mike Kelly (whose hold on Eden Monaro isn’t firm) is. You don’t think this is electioneering do you?
Does anyone know what is going to happen to or remain of the Majura Pines mountain biking trails that existed up there? Went up about a month ago and they had marked a lot of trees for felling and torn up tracks. There was not much to ride and I was wondering if they planned on re-doing some of the area after the new road is put in. They managed to leave some good trails on Bruce Ridge after the GDE went in.
funkylovebunny said :
I certainly hope so, given that providing tourist access to “the Majura pine plantation and other Majura Valley tourist facilities” was one of the main justifications for the construction of the Katy Gallagher Memorial Cycle Path To Nowhere.
goggles13 said :
Me too.
Richard Bender said :
On one level, I agree because I’m happy to pay less for the same product.
On another level, these sorts of public works have a role as a de facto welfare system – a portion of their workforce is otherwise unemployed/unemployable. Licenced clubs and the wider public service play a similar role. Subsidised employment beats welfare hands down; the individual’s finances and morale are far improved, and at least some productivity is generated.
funkylovebunny said :
Almost everything not under the new highway has been ‘thinned’ now; there’s maybe 2km of the original tracks left but I think they’re also slated for thinning.
I imagine once the workers have moved out the local trailbuilders will start rebuilding trails on what’s left; but that ain’t much and the ground is chewed up by machinery and covered with leftovers from the felled trees. But I guess Sparrow Hill probably looked similar a couple of years ago.
Be grateful the sods didn’t turn on you.
dtc said :
Majura Rd is the way many Gungahnites get to and from Barton and is usually a quicker run than Northbourne or Parkes Way (via GDE) (plus it makes “dropping into Costco” viable!). Remember that the Gungahlin end of Majura Parkway is Horse Park Drive, which services Harrison, Forde, Bonner and in the future Jacka, Throsby and Kenny. Also remember, Majura Pkwy is the compromise result from not going ahead with the road behind Ainslie (western side of Mt Ainsle) that had been on the Canberra planning maps for a very long, long time.
In summary, there are a lot of people who will use this road.
dtc said :
People going to defence or barton maybe as well, in terms of weekday commutes. People in the south will probably use the road to go to sydney as well. Plus it will take some heavy traffic off northbourne.