Does the GDE need a Calvary access road?

You also may want to have another look at those *other comments* – you do actually appear to be the only one who took it that way.

For the record, The Antichrist, Sarahsarah isn’t the only person to interpret your comment like that way: you came across as an elitist jerk to me too.

sarahsarah said :

……Apologies if that’s not the way you meant to come across, but I can see from other comments I am not the only one who took it that way…..

Apology accepted. I have only ever considered myself an normal jerk, but am very happy to be elevated to the elite class !! roflzomfgbbq 🙂

You also may want to have another look at those *other comments* – you do actually appear to be the only one who took it that way.

The Antichrist said :

sarahsarah said :

……Besides, just because the birth of *your* children went so well to plan doesn’t mean everyone else’s does…….

where did I say they went to plan, or weren’t quick ?

I said we didn’t leave the trip too late – for one of my kids, that meant a trip to Calvary and a delivery within 1 hour.

Your whole comment smacked of elitist jerkism. My point was that life invariably happens and it doesn’t always happen the way we expect. Don’t judge the poor woman because she happened to have her baby in a car when you on the other hand managed to make it to the hospital in time for all 4 of yours.

Apologies if that’s not the way you meant to come across, but I can see from other comments I am not the only one who took it that way.

At any rate – glad the mum and bub are okay. I am sure that once the GDE is finished (not that it was on the GDE) traffic will flow smoothly and their won’t be any more issues like this. Oh and there will be rainbows, peach pies and fluffy kittens given to everyone who drives along there. Right?

sarahsarah said :

……Besides, just because the birth of *your* children went so well to plan doesn’t mean everyone else’s does…….

where did I say they went to plan, or weren’t quick ?

I said we didn’t leave the trip too late – for one of my kids, that meant a trip to Calvary and a delivery within 1 hour.

Gungahlin Al said :

The Antichrist said :

Not once during the birth of my own 4 children, did we leave the journey to Calvary Hospital late, its hardly the fault of the roadbuilders that someone else chose to leave *their* journey so late that they had to give birth in a car.

Let’s not turn a political issue into criticism of a private citizen just because their child came on quick. It happens.

But its OK to turn the issues of a private citizen into a political issue just because their child came on quick ?

something about a goose and some sauce and a gander comes into mind….

The Antichrist said :

Gungahlin Al said :

…….It was Haydon Drive. …

So lets blame the GDE for a birth that occurred on a road that is not actually the GDE, but one that actually has several feeder roads (none of which by the way are actually the GDE in the first place) ?

Sure, that will make a good story for Mr Coe……must have been a slow news day.

Not once during the birth of my own 4 children, did we leave the journey to Calvary Hospital late, its hardly the fault of the roadbuilders that someone else chose to leave *their* journey so late that they had to give birth in a car.

Not every baby has a drawn out birth. Sometimes when they are ready, they are ready and out they come. My sister gave birth in the hospital elevator because the little tacker just couldn’t wait the extra 5 minutes be born in a bed. From go to whoa it only took a few hours.

Besides, just because the birth of *your* children went so well to plan doesn’t mean everyone else’s does.

yellowsnow said :

bitzermaloney said :

If Aranda can get it’s own on/off ramps why not every other suburb along the line. Kaleen’s gotta be next after that.

I always assumed Kaleen was getting ramps because Stanhope lives there. Who’s next in line for direct ramps after Jon’s? Anyone know where Katie Gallagher or Simon Corbell live? Pretty soon there’ll be more ramps than cars on that damn road, already allegedly the most expensive and overengineered public road in Australia’s history per km, or so i’ve heard

I think you assumed wrong, which renders the rest of your ramp moot.

Aranda already had two eastern exits on to Caswell Drive – after the duplication this has been reduced to one. Kaleen has always had an exit to the east – it doesn’t have ramps on to Gungahlin Drive, but it still exists and runs where it always has, so they haven’t lost anything either.

The Antichrist said :

Gungahlin Al said :

…….It was Haydon Drive. …

So lets blame the GDE for a birth that occurred on a road that is not actually the GDE, but one that actually has several feeder roads (none of which by the way are actually the GDE in the first place) ?

Sure, that will make a good story for Mr Coe……must have been a slow news day.

Not once during the birth of my own 4 children, did we leave the journey to Calvary Hospital late, its hardly the fault of the roadbuilders that someone else chose to leave *their* journey so late that they had to give birth in a car.

Strongly agree. Same applies to the woman featured on ABC’s 7:30 a couple of weeks back. Made the decision to move to Yass from Canberra – and is then outraged Yass is not well equiped to handle births; lives are being risked in the dangerous drive to Canberra while in labour etc.

Well should have thought of that before you moved. And if you really believe you’re risking your life then how about staying somewhere in Canberra for the week or two before you’re due.

The Antichrist said :

Not once during the birth of my own 4 children, did we leave the journey to Calvary Hospital late, its hardly the fault of the roadbuilders that someone else chose to leave *their* journey so late that they had to give birth in a car.

Let’s not turn a political issue into criticism of a private citizen just because their child came on quick. It happens.

Gungahlin Al said :

…….It was Haydon Drive. …

So lets blame the GDE for a birth that occurred on a road that is not actually the GDE, but one that actually has several feeder roads (none of which by the way are actually the GDE in the first place) ?

Sure, that will make a good story for Mr Coe……must have been a slow news day.

Not once during the birth of my own 4 children, did we leave the journey to Calvary Hospital late, its hardly the fault of the roadbuilders that someone else chose to leave *their* journey so late that they had to give birth in a car.

bitzermaloney said :

If Aranda can get it’s own on/off ramps why not every other suburb along the line. Kaleen’s gotta be next after that.

I always assumed Kaleen was getting ramps because Stanhope lives there. Who’s next in line for direct ramps after Jon’s? Anyone know where Katie Gallagher or Simon Corbell live? Pretty soon there’ll be more ramps than cars on that damn road, already allegedly the most expensive and overengineered public road in Australia’s history per km, or so i’ve heard

Keijidosha said :

For a city supposedly designed for cars we sure have a lot of traffic headaches.

+1

‘designed’ is a very kind word for what’s actually been happening. Every time the latest debacle is brought to us courtesy of Roads ACT, I do wonder how the guys in control over there have actually managed to hold on to their jobs as long as they have

bitzermaloney said :

If Aranda can get it’s own on/off ramps why not every other suburb along the line. Kaleen’s gotta be next after that.

Aranda is home to better letter writers.

Is he f***ing mad?

I for one would like to see the GDE completed some time prior to the year 3000

Surely an exit / entry to accomodate both the hospital an Bruce Stadium should have been implemented?

Of course we all love hanging around for 45min after a Brumbies/Raiders game trying to get out of the parking lot because the traffic lights on Belco Way haven’t been synched. And naturally enough the residents in Bruce equally love match days. (Why else would they choose to live there?).

If Aranda can get it’s own on/off ramps why not every other suburb along the line. Kaleen’s gotta be next after that.

There’s an off-ramp like 300m from the hospital?

The only hold ups I usually see are twits that are paralysed due to there being no sign telling them they’re allowed to proceed into an intersection or mount a gutter to get out of the way, that or like half of Canberra drivers they haven’t ever checked the rear mirror to see the blaze of lights and sirens behind them.

BREAKING NEWS: ACT Labor are useless clowns when it comes to managing roads and roadwork.

Luckily it’s an alive mum and baby, gratz to the family.

It’s a pity though that the worst possible outcome would have made for more chance of action.

As I understand it, the fact that a direct access road was originally planned from the GDE to Calvary is the only reason for the weird U-turn arrangements under the bridge at the intersection of GDE/Caswell Drive and Belconnen Way. For some reason, a decision was made not to proceed with such a direct access road, but the bridge was still built the way originally designed. I’m pretty sure the road signs there still have text for “Calvary Hospital” signposted that way, but they are just covered up.
I’ve often wondered how much the decision to ditch the access road, obviously made late in the process, added to the cost of the bridge over Belconnen Way.

ps sorry about the typos in my post — I submitted prematurely, an all too common problem

25 mins from Harrison to the hospital in the morning peaks sounds pretty good to me.

Not that, contrary to some of the comments blaming the husband for taking the GDE – judging by media reports it the woman in labour drove herself! While simultaneously calling/texting her mum and trying to entertain a kid in the backseat. Very impressive multitasking. So she gave birth in the driver’s seat and caught the baby herself, while driving. And seemed pretty non-fussed about it all

Surely this is the story (amazing as it is) the media and politicians should be focusing on, not the non existence of an additional slip lane which wouldn’t have shortened the trip. Some will argue that the woman shouldn’t have left it so late before going to the hospital, but with labour it’s hard to know when to go as sometimes labour takes 24h+, at other times one or two hours, and doctors generally advise against going too early

As I travel to and from the City I often see ambulances stuck in traffic around the intersections of Belconnen Way/Hayden Drive/GDE. Typically this is because numpty drivers are doing their level best to clear a path by getting each other’s way, panicing and blocking half a lane, or sitting there blissfully ignorant of the flashing lights and sirens.

At this point I wonder why there was no slip lane/flyover constructed on the GDE for emergency access to Calvary. Of course then I realise that such a feature would be rendered useless by the fact the rest of the GDE is a parking lot.

For a city supposedly designed for cars we sure have a lot of traffic headaches.

We have a post on this on http://www.facebook.com/gungahlin including a response from the new mother herself.

It was Haydon Drive. Not sure a new entrance would have made a difference in this instance, but an emergency use only entrance wouldn’t be a bad thing. A general entrance – no. Already we are told the whole Gungahlin Drive will be kept to 80kph due to the regular conflict points along it. Any more and they’ll throttle us down to 70 or something…

Sometimes I forget what it feels like to drive at 100kph…

I read the article in the CT, and, I may have read it wrong, but, it appeared that it took them 25 minutes to get to the hospital from Gunghalin? I’m not sure that this constitutes a compelling case for a new road, for people having babies.

I heard the baby was born on Hayden Dr. They turned off at Ginninderra Dr because of the traffic. If an access road was there, could he made it in time anyway?

I have always found it strange that there isn’t road there with the hospital, quite literally, a stone’s throw from the GDE. Much quicker for ambos as it would come out right in front of A&E.

Yes of course there should be a road straight from the GDE to Calvary !

Hell, they should have built a road directly from this couples house to the ER carpark !

Clearly, leaving home a bit earlier – say, when contractions started, was never an option…..

Why would you take the GDE if your wife was in labour? Or even due in the next month?

Sweet. I would have just argued for this cause I work at Calvs, but now that there is a baby involved, it’d a dead cert now. I’m thankfull someone is thinking of the children.

I remember seeing such a lane on some plans many years ago, and I did wonder where it had gotten to. Seems like it would be kind of pointless for the northbound lane, but might save a minute or two southbound (which might make all the difference in emergency situations). Having said that, if there was a full-on traffic jam, I don’t see how the extra little bit of road would have helped – you still would have needed to actually reach the access road, which means you’re very close to the Belconnen way intersection anyway. Was it really a situation where being able to get off at a spot 300m away would have made a difference? Or is it, god forbid, simply the Libs searching desperately for any excuse, no matter how ridiculous, to attack the government?

There is a fine line between effective opposition and just being a whinger.

Alistair is on the wrong side of the line in my opinion.