15 October 2013

Work begins on Ashley Drive and Erindale Drive

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Canberra has been sorely lacking in road works recently, but never fear, today Shane Rattenbury announced some more!

Rejoice!

“The ACT Government is upgrading Ashley Drive and Erindale Drive, including intersection improvements, to make the area safer for motorists, cyclists and other road users and reduce traffic congestion,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“Carrying over 20,000 vehicles a day, these busy roads located in south Canberra provide an important link between Johnson Drive in Richardson and Sternberg Crescent in Wanniassa. They are two of the major access roads for traffic travelling from Tuggeranong suburbs such as Calwell, Gordon and Isabella Plains to Woden and the city.

“Increasing levels of traffic in the area has resulted in significant queuing and delays experienced by drivers at key intersections on Erindale Drive and Ashley Drive during the morning and afternoon peak periods.

“The upgrade aims to address traffic issues at key intersections with a focus on Ashley Drive’s intersections with Erindale Drive, Sternberg Crescent and McBryde Crescent. Once works are complete, motorists are sure to welcome the reduced queues at these intersections which will help reduce travel times.

“Stage one works will include:
— duplication of Erindale Drive between Sternberg Crescent and Ashley Drive
— part-time traffic signals (for the morning peak) on the eastern approach to the Sternberg Crescent and Erindale Drive roundabout
— introduction of left slip turn lanes on Erindale Drive (southbound) at the approaches to both Sternberg Crescent and Ashley Drive
— installation of traffic signals at the Ashley Drive/McBryde Crescent intersection.

“The signalisation of the Ashley Drive/McBryde Crescent intersection will provide a safe crossing for people visiting the Erindale Centre on foot or on bike. It will also aid vehicles entering and exiting the intersection which can prove difficult during peak hours, especially for buses which need more turning time.

The aim is for the stage 1 works to be done by May next year. Of course this will be construction zone speed limits and delays, so be prepared adjust your commutes accordingly.

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Erindale Drive already has some of the worst driving standards i have witnessed in the ACT, you do NOT need to head for the right hand lane and sit there because your turning right in 10km time, these roadworks are only going to confuse the entitled and idiotic even more. It was bad enough when they moved the merge lane back up the hill, with some drivers seemingly unable to comprehend that the merge point had indeed moved. Im still in awe of those that cannot read a signpost, Left turn only – Left lane. Middle lane closed. Right Hand lane Right hand turn and straight ahead only. It does not mean you charge down the left lane undertaking the drivers in the right hand lane who can read, and barge your way in at the last possible moment.

I see stage 1 is now planned to finish in September 2014 and a tender awarded for design of stage 2:

http://www.tams.act.gov.au/roads-transport/major-construction-projects/ashley_drive_upgrade

can’t wait to see how drivers navigate the new arrangements on Erindale drive when turning left onto Sternberg or Ashley Drive.

gooterz said :

Isn’t Erindale drive one of the least used out of Isabella Drive, Erindale and Athllon Drive.

If something was done about Athllon drive/Sulwood Drive intersection then Erindale drive wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

The area in question is 300 metres.. What is that going to achieve?

It’s going to extend the gridlock another 300 metres towards Tuggeranong Town Centre.

miz said :

Yeah it won’t achieve much until the other stages are completed. I suggest they time full completion of all sections before the next local election if they want it to make any difference whatsoever to voting intentions.

pretty dangerous game of poker the Govt is playing then!

I’m sure my rates will go up to pay for the Light Rail thing and that is one reason not to vote for the current Govt.

Yeah it won’t achieve much until the other stages are completed. I suggest they time full completion of all sections before the next local election if they want it to make any difference whatsoever to voting intentions.

We’ll build stage 1 to show we mean business but you have to vote us in at the election to get stage 2 to make the whole thing worth while.

You have to be kidding, Shane ! Or are u blind ??

While I agree that there will be some improvements in and around Erindale centre itself (and not before time either !), the duplication of Erindale Drive between Sternberg & Ashley will achieve very little – if anything – ’cause it’s still one lane on Ashley drive and still one lane on Erindale/Athlon south to the Tuggeranong Parkway (towards the Hyperdome).

So, Shane, its a bit presumptuous to claim that drivers are “sure to welcome the reduced queues” – ’cause all u are doing is moving the queues further south ! Without a phase 2, phase 1 will probably achieve little I’m afraid. No wait, that was a bit harsh – it does provide the opportunity for more spin from the ACT Government I suppose !

Come on Shane and Katy, commit to phase 2 “immediately”. I gotta get some return for the probable tripling of my Annual Rates and the absurdly high parking fees I pay daily !!!

Im glad they are finally putting money into the southside. The only real investment that has been made IMHO is the tharwa drive duplication. I presume the last election was a bit too close for them…

goggles13 said :

I’m guessing that Stage 1 works are behind schedule since the bridge over the bike path on the new section has not been started. what a surprise!

Agree that this is all going rather slowly. Maybe the contractor is being paid by the week?

I’m thinking the bridge will be a single span drop in, but having said that they don’t seem to have started on the footings yet either.

I’m guessing that Stage 1 works are behind schedule since the bridge over the bike path on the new section has not been started. what a surprise!

steveu said :

La_Tour_Maubourg said :

Duplicating the stretch between Sternberg Cr and Ashley Dr and not continuing until Drakeford Dr? Let’s have the queue of southbound peak traffic build up from Ashley Drive now rather than Sternberg Cres!

This.

Its in the territory plan, why not do it all the way?

And goggles13, I agree. about time they invested in the south for a change.

Ashley to Sternberg is only stage 1. Stage 2 will presumably be extended hopefully to Drakeford (you’d hope).

La_Tour_Maubourg said :

Duplicating the stretch between Sternberg Cr and Ashley Dr and not continuing until Drakeford Dr? Let’s have the queue of southbound peak traffic build up from Ashley Drive now rather than Sternberg Cres!

This.

Its in the territory plan, why not do it all the way?

And goggles13, I agree. about time they invested in the south for a change.

Primal said :

How’s the work on Cotter Road going? Might be a choice between Parkway-Cotter and the Monaro for getting into the Triangle.

What is with the hold up on the Monaro now?? Yeah the road lanes have changed ever so slightly but now the traffic builds up in both lanes all the way to Fyshwick?

Just drive it you numpties.

Felix the Cat10:42 am 06 Nov 13

Primal said :

How’s the work on Cotter Road going? Might be a choice between Parkway-Cotter and the Monaro for getting into the Triangle.

Pretty much finished except there is still a bottleneck near Yarralumla Woolshed and also further down near the Streeton Dr intersection.

Frustrated said :

If they hadn’t kept building the suburbs further south and to the north of Canberra, we wouldn’t be having these problems….Canberra was not designed for a population approaching 400k.

Live in Bonner do we?

Jere13 said :

More coarse chip to go down and bask in the tyre roar.

Your really need to go see a professional about your chip obsession. But for what it is worth, most new sections of road they do in hotmix, so chill out.

Frustrated said :

If they hadn’t kept building the suburbs further south and to the north of Canberra, we wouldn’t be having these problems….Canberra was not designed for a population approaching 400k.

Seriously Canberra was planned for a population of half a million by 1990, the growth actually was below expectations.

In the south, Tuggeranong was meant to be roughly 40-50% bigger, extending west across the river corridor, so again, the actually development ended up being well less that that which was projected. The Tuggeranong Parkway for example was intended to be an 8 lane highway eventually. The large green belts in various areas of Canberra near roads were specifically designed to allow capacity expansion as development continues, something often overlook in other cities.

La_Tour_Maubourg12:12 am 06 Nov 13

Duplicating the stretch between Sternberg Cr and Ashley Dr and not continuing until Drakeford Dr? Let’s have the queue of southbound peak traffic build up from Ashley Drive now rather than Sternberg Cres!

If they hadn’t kept building the suburbs further south and to the north of Canberra, we wouldn’t be having these problems….Canberra was not designed for a population approaching 400k.

More coarse chip to go down and bask in the tyre roar.

gooterz said :

The area in question is 300 metres.. What is that going to achieve?

between bugger all and nothing, but someone will feel warm and fuzzy that the works have happened.

surely doing phases 1 & 2 together would be more cost-efficient or is that such a radical thought that the Act Govt wouldn’t go this way?

Isn’t Erindale drive one of the least used out of Isabella Drive, Erindale and Athllon Drive.

If something was done about Athllon drive/Sulwood Drive intersection then Erindale drive wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

The area in question is 300 metres.. What is that going to achieve?

Long needed improvements – glad to see they are finally underway. Now I just need to avoid them for seven months…

How’s the work on Cotter Road going? Might be a choice between Parkway-Cotter and the Monaro for getting into the Triangle.

I started rat running to avoid that area years ago.

Will continue.

Finally. Though I agree with goggles that Stage 2 is equally crucial and should be done now, not ‘in subsequent years pending future funding’ (which sounds like the never never).

Needed it a long time ago, I wonder when they’ll get on and finally duplicate the final section of Athlon Dr too? No doubt they plan to invest the sizeable revenue from those safety cameras into that project… oh wait

when will phase 2 happen, and why not now?

talk about a token effort for southside drivers

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