6 June 2011

Kings Avenue changes as the pain comes to an end

| johnboy
Join the conversation
15

The National Capital Authority brings word that the famed Kings Avenue car park is coming to an end as permanent lanes open following their mammoth realignment of the arterial intersection.

Traffic conditions at the Kings Avenue overpass will change this Tuesday, as permanent lanes come into use.

On Tuesday, changed traffic movements will include:

— Traffic movements on Parkes Way and Morshead Drive will travel under the overpass in both directions. — — For an interim period, this will be one lane each way. The final two lanes each way will be opened at project completion.
— New traffic signals on the overpass will be operational. The intersection, where Kings Avenue passes over Parkes Way will now allow traffic movements in most directions. Traffic will move through the intersection in three traffic signal phases.
— Three of the four ramps will be operational. West-bound traffic, travelling from the airport to the Russell precinct, will continue using the Russell Drive entrance at the Morshead Drive roundabout, until the final ramp is constructed.
— Pedestrian movements over the bridge will not come into use until the final stages of the works.

The new traffic movements will be in place from around midday on Tuesday, 7 June.

A 40km/ph speed limit will continue to remain in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There will also be advisory signage, variable message boards and vehicle speed indicators.

Final works are expected to be complete by August.

Join the conversation

15
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Sgt.Bungers said :

Why? It’s 3km between the Glenloch interchange and Edinburgh Ave. An increase in the speed limit from 90 to 100km/h would see a driver save 12 seconds per trip… provided they could actually get up to the speed limit that is.

Parkes way under black mountain is busy in peak hour, morning and night, sees black ice in winter, has bends in it that are inappropriate for even 90km/h. Bad idea IMHO.

That said, I’d be curious to know why the GDE cannot be 100km/h for the majority of its length once all duplication is finished.

It’s not a matter of saving 12 seconds, and not about peak hour, it’s about improving the traffic flow for most of the day. When accelerating it’s only a few seconds between 90 and 100 so no-one should have a problem with getting to 100.

As for peak hour, the amount of traffic would regulate the speed regardless of the speed limit. Peak hour only makes up about 16% of the day, the majority of the day the traffic is light to moderate. If you were really worried about the peak hour speed limit you could put in variable speed limit signs as they have in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

As for black ice, that doesn’t occur all that often and is taken care of by driving to the conditions.

It’s a decent 4 lane road, with wide shoulders, good visibility and decent entrances and exits (apart from the one at Glenlock) If you are having trouble with those bends at 90, you must have real fun on the two lane highways around the place, let alone the country roads that are 100.

If it wasn’t for the cluster fluck at Glenlock it should be 100 from Sulwood to Coranderrk st, if we managed to replace the few rounadbouts with proper entrances and exits it could be 100 all the way to the airport – though dealing with the one at ANZAC parade would be a bit tricky and assuming the Monaro, Majura parkway, Morshead drive, Pialligo Ave interchange was going to be built in a decent manner. Going by the Glenlock interchange I’m not holding my breath.

I do agree with you about the GDE.

Thoroughly Smashed8:51 am 07 Jun 11

CoffinRX2 said :

Sgt.Bungers said :

Parkes way under black mountain is busy in peak hour, morning and night, sees black ice in winter, has bends in it that are inappropriate for even 90km/h. Bad idea IMHO.

Inappropriate at 90? are you kidding yourself?

Maybe check that your car is up to standard, suspension, bushes, steering etc, … then maybe the ability of the driver?

Design standards change. I wouldn’t be surprised if Parkes Way no longer meets the standard for 80km/hr.

Sgt.Bungers said :

deye said :

JC said :

Speaking of road pain, saw an ad in Saturday’s Canberra times asking for comments on a plan to add an extra lane to Parkes Way between the tunnel and Glenloch.

It sounds like a good idea, as long as they do the interchange part in a decent way. Hopefully they also raise the speed limit to 100.

Why? It’s 3km between the Glenloch interchange and Edinburgh Ave. An increase in the speed limit from 90 to 100km/h would see a driver save 12 seconds per trip… provided they could actually get up to the speed limit that is.

Parkes way under black mountain is busy in peak hour, morning and night, sees black ice in winter, has bends in it that are inappropriate for even 90km/h. Bad idea IMHO.

That said, I’d be curious to know why the GDE cannot be 100km/h for the majority of its length once all duplication is finished.

Inappropriate at 90? are you kidding yourself?

Maybe check that your car is up to standard, suspension, bushes, steering etc, … then maybe the ability of the driver?

screaming banshee10:03 pm 06 Jun 11

Felix the Cat said :

Please, please, please finish GDE/Glenoch and Kings Ave before they start more disruptive roadworks.

I doubt this Russell roundabout upgrade will help during the peak, have a look at where the logjam is now….in the morning east-bound traffic is stymied by west-bound traffic turning into russel drive and in the evening west-bound traffic is held up at anzac ave, not the roadworks.

Felix the Cat7:36 pm 06 Jun 11

Please, please, please finish GDE/Glenoch and Kings Ave before they start more disruptive roadworks.

deye said :

JC said :

Speaking of road pain, saw an ad in Saturday’s Canberra times asking for comments on a plan to add an extra lane to Parkes Way between the tunnel and Glenloch.

It sounds like a good idea, as long as they do the interchange part in a decent way. Hopefully they also raise the speed limit to 100.

Why? It’s 3km between the Glenloch interchange and Edinburgh Ave. An increase in the speed limit from 90 to 100km/h would see a driver save 12 seconds per trip… provided they could actually get up to the speed limit that is.

Parkes way under black mountain is busy in peak hour, morning and night, sees black ice in winter, has bends in it that are inappropriate for even 90km/h. Bad idea IMHO.

That said, I’d be curious to know why the GDE cannot be 100km/h for the majority of its length once all duplication is finished.

screaming banshee said :

Spoono said :

Anything to fix the three-lanes-merge-into-one nonsense that currently happens

Where?

It happens over the course of about 500m. First Gungahlin traffic merges into the left lane from Belconnen, then 500m later that lane merges into the right lane from Belconnen to form the inside lane along Parkes way around the mountain. They are then joined by the traffic from the south. So yes 3 lines of traffic all merge into 1 in a very short period of time.

I would hope that part of this will be fixed by an extra lane. You would only then have Gungahlin traffic merging with one lane from Belconnen with Tuggeranong traffic running into the new inside lane.

deye said :

JC said :

Speaking of road pain, saw an ad in Saturday’s Canberra times asking for comments on a plan to add an extra lane to Parkes Way between the tunnel and Glenloch.

It sounds like a good idea, as long as they do the interchange part in a decent way. Hopefully they also raise the speed limit to 100.

I would think the changes they are making now would probably suffice.

ScienceRules12:28 pm 06 Jun 11

How about just finishing the bloody interchange? Surely there can’t be any more excuses for that miserable excuse for a roadway? How about we lock the local Council in their offices, or give ’em a reflective vest and shovel, until it’s finished? Sheesh…

Thoroughly Smashed12:15 pm 06 Jun 11

screaming banshee said :

And for all you f-wit morons bleating with your horns and trying to run me off the road for doing the speed limit…

A 40km/ph speed limit will continue to remain in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Ahh roadwork speed limits, the bane (apparently) of people behind me.

screaming banshee11:45 am 06 Jun 11

Spoono said :

Anything to fix the three-lanes-merge-into-one nonsense that currently happens

Where?

And for all you f-wit morons bleating with your horns and trying to run me off the road for doing the speed limit…

A 40km/ph speed limit will continue to remain in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

luther_bendross10:52 am 06 Jun 11

deye said :

It sounds like a good idea, as long as they do the interchange part in a decent way. Hopefully they also raise the speed limit to 100.

A change to the signed limit around there will do SFA, everyone already does Mach 3.0.

Anything to fix the three-lanes-merge-into-one nonsense that currently happens

JC said :

Speaking of road pain, saw an ad in Saturday’s Canberra times asking for comments on a plan to add an extra lane to Parkes Way between the tunnel and Glenloch.

It sounds like a good idea, as long as they do the interchange part in a decent way. Hopefully they also raise the speed limit to 100.

Speaking of road pain, saw an ad in Saturday’s Canberra times asking for comments on a plan to add an extra lane to Parkes Way between the tunnel and Glenloch. Must admit it is very much needed, but do never understand why roads are built backwards in this City. Ie they build a new road or improve one that dumps more cars somewhere then they need to do upgrade works on the existing road, made all the more difficult because they have the existing traffic plus the new. So when this happens can see another year or two of pain for anyone come from West/South Belconnen, Gungahlin, Woden and Weston Creek,

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.