15 May 2012

Speed reduction on the Federal Highway

| johnboy
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Territory and Municipal Services advise us that they’re lowering the speed limit on the eastbound part of the Federal Highway after being surprised by cold weather at night and the effect it has had on their resurfacing.

No really.

The ACT Government wishes to advise motorists and other road users that the speed limit on the eastbound section of Federal Highway between Majura Road and the ACT border will be reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h from Wednesday 16 May 2012 until further notice.

The speed reduction has been made as a result of loose material on the road and the overall rough surface of the pavement.

These conditions were caused after recent road resurfacing did not set properly as a result of unseasonably cold overnight temperatures, Director, Roads ACT, Tony Gill, said today.

“The contractor will return to the site, at their expense, when warmer weather allows for successful resurfacing works, most likely in October.

One wonders what will take them by surprise in October.


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Gungahlin Al said :

If they had just used a surface treatment worthy of the entrance to the national capital, this embarrassing farce would not have happened. But to a certain extent, it is hard to blame Roads ACT – they are constrained by the budget they are given by the Treasurer. Spending cheap on roads surfaces is counter-productive. We’ll just be back in no time doing it cheap again…

You clearly don’t remember the Barton Highway fiasco 15 years or so back. And it wasn’t chip seal that got stuffed up, it was hot mix.

Now considering the amount of chip seal around the place that does hold up all right it is clear in this case the issue is the contractor stuffing up rather than the method. Just like the aforementioned Barton Highway issue.

Ummm, October seems to be a long time away. What is the service life if a chip sealed road? Six months must be a pretty big chunk of that time. Why not just not reseal any roads an just reduce the speed limit everywhere? Save money and lives!

so a speed reduction for six months for no apparent good reason. what a joke.

but then I do not that Erindale Drive (heading south) between the Sulwood Drive and Sternberg Cres roundabouts has been changed such that the Form 1 lane is much closer to the Sulwood Drive roundabout. not sure why.

Holden Caulfield9:24 am 16 May 12

Incompetence: Congratulations you’ve won the employee of the month award!

So they hired a contractor to resurface the road. They did a shoddy job, so the GovCo are inviting them back to do it over? I’m sure the result will be much better, especially when it is being done at the contractors expense. Not a single corner will be cut, guaranteed.

The Government should have withheld payment on the job and hired someone competent to fix the mess left by the first contractor.

Evil_Kitten said :

I drove on it the other day, seemed fine to me!

The eastbound surface is horrible. The ruts and grooves are dangerous in the dry, and I’d imagine even worse in wet/frosty conditions.

October ?? WTF. That is nuts, especially given the volume of ski traffic that heads through there over winter.

I drove on it the other day, seemed fine to me!

They did some dodgy work when haymen drive outside the CIT was resealed heading south. They didn’t even bother to clean up all the gravel that had flung onto the adjacent pedestrian footpath.

I honestly think the road was in a better condition before the resurface.

screaming banshee10:36 pm 15 May 12

I believe they call that a ‘False Economy’, not to be confused with Federales operating a Farce Economy

Gungahlin Al10:07 pm 15 May 12

If they had just used a surface treatment worthy of the entrance to the national capital, this embarrassing farce would not have happened. But to a certain extent, it is hard to blame Roads ACT – they are constrained by the budget they are given by the Treasurer. Spending cheap on roads surfaces is counter-productive. We’ll just be back in no time doing it cheap again…

Is this code for police patrols and speed cameras on the 2km stretch to the border, all in the name of safety of course

Yeah, February in Canberra is a real killer. I’m surprised the snow ploughs weren’t out.

Wow somebody tell most of Europe: road sealing is impossible in coldish weather.
*headdesk*

The same thing happened in my street and on several other roads in the Weston Creek area in January – following chip seal resurfacing of the previously smooth roads became so rough, loose, gravelly and littered with gaping potholes it boggles the mind how the contractors got away with it. I suspect the same contractor was involved as on the Federal Hwy as the chip seal size, colour and overall crappiness and inattention to detail look identical. Isn’t there any oversight of their work going on? Does ACT Roads just hand over wads of cash with no one checking the contractors’ work?

In the case of Weston Creek they can’t really blame cold temperatures because the work was done at the height of summer (admittedly this summer was cool – but surely not cold enough to impact road work, otherwise road crews would be out of business 10 months of the year in Canberra).

I actually wrote to ACT Roads about this months ago – although I’m yet to receive a response to his credit not long after my email i saw Tony Gill himself closely inspecting the surface and complaining to his staff about the contractor and the chip seal technique they used.

So I suspect the real problem in the case of the Fed Hwy, as in Weston Creek, was the contractor and the type of chip seal technique they used – the weather was just a convenient excuse.

Then there is the bigger question – why does the ACT govt insist on using el cheapo chip seal on major urban roads? I’m still yet to hear of a good reason other than saving a few dollars in the short term and keeping contractors who shouldn’t be in the business afloat

screaming banshee6:56 pm 15 May 12

The stupid, it burns!

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