[COM] South Road Superway | $842m | 3km

[Shuz]

Yes! Thats the exact same photo I was trying to find, that first one.

[TooFar]

They are both of the same freeway, The Decarie Expressway in Montreal. An interesting side note, there was a flash flood in the summer of 97 where 100mm of rain fell in 1 hour. Part of the drainage system became blocked and the water lever quickly reached 4 meters in parts. I person drowned when they became trapped inside their car.

[Norman]

Here's another idea... a stacked freeway of a different kind. Freight transport (trucks, etc) will drive on top, while the normal cars will drive underneath in a sort of a tunnel. Sort of like this:

______|Freight Northbound|_|Freight Southbound|_______
|||||||Traffic Northbound|||Traffic Southbound||||||||

I came to work today via south rd and was surprised at the demolition progress(?) in the south/anzac area. the space that has been cleared is huge and extends further each side of anzac than i thought it would. there appears to be lots of space now available except for the red brick building right on the corner - i can only guess that that will go but has been kept for a little longer for whatever reason ... or will it be tunneled under? anyone know?

Yeah, the area cleared is massive! I was simply amazed how quickly it was all done. But since they removed the median strips, driving around there is a bit difficult.

While you lot are brainstorming ideas, how about we turn South Road into the worlds first reversible main road, much to the dismay of the Southern Expressway. :wank:

What about a reversible bus tunnel... could work

Bus lanes are needed and if that happens....also more go zones....and maybe at least 10 min ones...not 15....thats still crap.

"Go Zones" are merely for advertising purposes... in most areas, services have been cut or left the same.

I say we upgrade our rail network before anything... more routes, more destinations, and tunnels in the city... most people don't want to walk from the Railway Station to wherever they work. We need something more centralised. But that's another argument.

[Norman]

New photos from today:

http://photos.galoresoftware.net/main.php?g2_itemId=226

[Norman]

Digging has started on the southern constriction area, no pics unfortunately.

[Ho Really]

Couple of questions guys regarding the South Road upgrade:

1. If South Road were to become a North-South freeway would the work being done now on the underpasses be sufficient for incorporation?

2. Will the bridge planned for the tram line only span South Road in its current configuration? If South Road were to be widened into a freeway this bridge would be obsolete if not planned right. Thoughts?

Cheers

[Cruise]

Couple of questions guys regarding the South Road upgrade:

1. If South Road were to become a North-South freeway would the work being done now on the underpasses be sufficient for incorporation?

2. Will the bridge planned for the tram line only span South Road in its current configuration? If South Road were to be widened into a freeway this bridge would be obsolete if not planned right. Thoughts?

Cheers

Well i see a few problems between anzac highway and cros road section seeing as anzac highway underpass is 2X2 and cross road overpass is 2X2 adding another lane would be hard, unless of coursethe extra lane started and terminated as a slip lane from each road to the other

[Norman]

Pics from today:

http://photos.galoresoftware.net/main.php?g2_itemId=591

[Norman]

Major digging started last night. May have some pics tomorrow.

[Ben]

This is unfortunate.

From The Advertiser:

$122m South Rd tunnel on hold

GREG KELTON, STATE EDITOR
October 11, 2007 02:15am
CONSTRUCTION on a key section of the South Rd redevelopment will be delayed until after the next state election unless it gets federal funding.

The planned 600m tunnel under Port and Grange roads - originally costed at $122 million - has been replaced as a priority project by a $28 million tram overpass on South Rd.

Transport and Infrastructure Department officials have told a parliamentary committee the tunnel project was going to cost "considerably more".

The Opposition says it is obvious there has been a massive blowout in costs for the project - the third major transport plan to be hit in this way after the Bakewell Bridge, the South Rd-Anzac Highway underpass and the Northern Expressway.

Blowouts on these projects total more than $300 million and the latest blowout could add another $180 million to that total.

The underpass was originally announced in April, 2005, by Transport Minister Patrick Conlon with construction starting in August this year and being completed by early 2010. In the Budget handed down in July, the Government refused to give a figure for the full cost of the project saying this was because "one of the contracts is in the final stages of negotiation".

Office of Major Projects chief executive Rod Hook told the Budget and Finance Committee this week that "we are three years away from being in a position to commit to construction in that area". He said the Government was going to "revisit it with our Commonwealth counterparts".

Opposition transport spokesman Duncan McFetridge said it was obvious the Government had seriously underestimated the cost. "This is real pie-in-the-sky stuff and they are now looking for a life raft," he said.

[ozisnowman]

Why has the Rann government got an obsession with Underpasses when Overpasses cost about
3 times less. Im sure that they wouldnt be having such big cost blowouts if tunnelling was not
involved.

[Norman]

Underpasses look better because they are more hidden from view that an ugly huge concrete bridge like at the South/Cross Road intersection.

[Cruise]

Underpasses look better because they are more hidden from view that an ugly huge concrete bridge like at the South/Cross Road intersection.

so that justifies spending twice as much then?

[urban]

Absolutely. I'd much rather live in an attractive city.

[JAKJ]

Underpasses look better because they are more hidden from view that an ugly huge concrete bridge like at the South/Cross Road intersection.

so that justifies spending twice as much then?

Yes... Things should be done properly or not at all.