Thanks for the views and comments on my previous post, Light rail or Monash Drive. If Monash Drive is to be reconsidered, then the next question is what are the possible routes for this road, as it was only pencilled in on earlier city plans. One possible route is shown on the map above, although there could be other options.
We have a congestion problem now, so could take a simple first step while investigating and preparing for construction of Monash Drive.
- Modify the bus stops along Northbourne Avenue, the three-lane section between Mouat Street and Barry Drive, moving them further left so they no longer disrupt the left traffic lane. Currently all traffic in the left lane stops when a bus stops, and traffic in the centre lane is significantly slowed while cars stopped in the left lane pull out in front of cars moving along the centre lane. The bus stops along Northbourne Avenue, north of Mouat Street and south of Barry Drive no longer protrude into the left lane, and are completely out of the traffic flow.
On old maps, Monash Drive is shown intersecting with Northbourne, but nothing in Gungahlin had been planned so maps do not show how it aligns with those roads.
- Flemington Road south of Sandford Street could be realigned to intersect with Northbourne Avenue at Sterling Avenue, at an additional set of lights.
- EPIC could be moved, or revamped, or completely rethought, as has been proposed several times over many years.
- The existing power lines running along the Sterling Avenue corridor may need to be moved or altered, as will some behind Hackett and Ainslie.
- Flemington Road can easily be returned to dual lane through Mitchell up to Wells Station Road.
- Intersections at Aspinall Street and Antill Street may or may not be required.
- The route of Monash Drive is almost entirely away from existing traffic, and so construction would cause little traffic disruption.
- Monash Drive should be built as dual carriageway from the start, not as a single carriageway initially as Gungahlin Drive mistakenly was.
On old maps, Monash Drive is shown intersecting with Fairbairn Avenue in Campbell, but traffic flows have changed since those early plans so that may no longer work.
- Monash Drive could intersect with the existing lights at Limestone Avenue and Ainslie Avenue, and all are already dual lane roads with wide medium strips.
- The existing access road to Ainslie Village would be removed, and replaced with an access road heading south to Treloar Crescent.
- Limestone Avenue, between Ainslie Avenue and Anzac Parade, may need to be widened to three lanes to take the extra traffic to Russell and Campbell.
- Ainslie Avenue could easily be converted to three traffic lanes if needed by changing the parking lane to a traffic lane, to take the extra traffic to the city.
- Express buses from Gungahlin could travel to the city without stopping along Monash Drive, improving both bus and car travel to the city.