14 July 2009

The NCA goes belt and braces over tree removal

| johnboy
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The National Capital Authority has sheepishly announced that they’re going to be knocking down some elms and eucalypts along Kings Avenue from tomorrow as part of their much needed program to get rid of the murderous Russell roundabout.

Not only are the NCA promising to replace the 53 trees their knocking down with 106 established elms they’ve already ordered, they’re also making much of their greenish efforts to “recycle” the trees they’re knocking down.

    Over a third of the elms being removed will be used by local woodcraft groups. All remaining trees will be chipped onsite and provided to a local landscape supplier for environmental reuse.’

    Weather permitting the trees will be removed over a two week period. The work will be conducted during the day from 7:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.

And before the native nuts go off, an extra 104 eucalypts have been planted in Kings Park already.

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Thoroughly Smashed said :

Impeding visibility at approaches to roundabouts forces drivers to slow down before they enter the roundabout, and there will also be roadwork speed limits. With any luck both factors will decrease accident rates during construction.

Pft! “Forces drivers to slow down.” You’re not from around here, are you?
“Roadwork speed limits.” What’s that? That’s not even English! What are you talking about?!

Thoroughly Smashed11:22 am 22 Sep 09

Rad Dave said :

I expect there will be a few more accidents on the roundabout before it is fully retired.. Heading East along Parkes Way and entering the roundabout- large concrete barriers have been erected and obscure any view of oncoming traffic.

It would be unusual if there weren’t more accidents, considering that intersection has nearly two accidents per week on average.

Impeding visibility at approaches to roundabouts forces drivers to slow down before they enter the roundabout, and there will also be roadwork speed limits. With any luck both factors will decrease accident rates during construction.

So I reckon they’ve got most of those trees down.. devastating. The whole area looks completely different. It will be great to get rid of the roundabout though..
I expect there will be a few more accidents on the roundabout before it is fully retired.. Heading East along Parkes Way and entering the roundabout- large concrete barriers have been erected and obscure any view of oncoming traffic.

AG Canberra said :

The bloke (Chair of the NCA) on the radio last night said it will all be completed by the end of 2010.

But that will be one massive set of lights on top of that bridge – with queue’s stretching back for k’s I reckon….

Yeah especially Parkes Way (from the city) towards Kings Ave Bridge. Another half arsed project that with minor changes could have been a whole lot better.

The bloke (Chair of the NCA) on the radio last night said it will all be completed by the end of 2010.

But that will be one massive set of lights on top of that bridge – with queue’s stretching back for k’s I reckon….

Thanks, Thoroughly Smashed, but I still can’t see when completion is scheduled for.

So looks like there will be traffic lights on the North/South (Kings Ave) allignment. They should have more or less kept the existing roundabout design but incorporated underpasses under the roundabout, as is the common practice on UK motorway junctions.

It is going to be interesting to watch how this is built and what temporary roads and diversions will be used. At least the core bridge can be built without any major traffic changes, except of course entry and exit of works vehicles.

Good on them for replacing, nay, doubling, the trees. I hope Stanhope et al are taking notes.

Well, it certainly has to be done. When is the project due for completion?

hmmm. That’ll be a long project.

I hope they don’t give the contract to the company who have been doing the Fairbairn/Pialligo intersection and are not even close to finishing… that project was overdue weeks ago. The airport weren’t project-managing that bit and I believe they’re quite frustrated at its progress.

traffic management will be a massive issue. That roundabout locks up with the smaller one at the entrance to Russell/East Basin in busy times. I think it locks up with Anzac Pde, too.

They’d solve a lot of the problems on it if they could get people to do 40 km/hr round it, not 60. You’d get flow from 4 sides then.

It looks like they’re going the full monty ant.

Nope. mature trees are virtually unmoveable, you’d need to dig a whopping hole to get them out, and you’d have to cut through a lot of roots. Nice idea but not practical.

Are they going to do the flyovers they mooted a while back for the Russell roundabout, or just more capacious turn lanes? ones that start earlier and bypass the roundabout altogether.. that’s flavour of the month right now in a few spots.

Wouldn’t it be cheaper (and greener) to dig them out, store them (at the Arboretum??) and replant them later? I’m sure there’d be a few losses, but I cringe at the thought of the cost of 106 ‘established’ elms……

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