News & Discussion: O-Bahn

[citywatcher]

Can't see it ready by December

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[Norman]

The last image is clearly out of date. I think it will be ready by December.

[adelaide transport]

I wonder how long before DPTI give some indication of whether 528/548/G40 buses will detour off new bus exit to North Terrace via East Terrace or Frome Street?,or will they just continue down Grenfell and Currie Streets?
Also as the whole busway timetable will have to be redrawn as a result of the new tunnel ,whether any new or additional services will be introduced?

[Llessur2002]

I wonder how long before DPTI give some indication of whether 528/548/G40 buses will detour off new bus exit to North Terrace via East Terrace or Frome Street?,or will they just continue down Grenfell and Currie Streets?

Was this actually the plan? My understanding was that one benefit of the O-Bahn extension was to remove buses from North Terrace.

[adelaide transport]

I wonder how long before DPTI give some indication of whether 528/548/G40 buses will detour off new bus exit to North Terrace via East Terrace or Frome Street?,or will they just continue down Grenfell and Currie Streets?

Was this actually the plan? My understanding was that one benefit of the O-Bahn extension was to remove buses from North Terrace.

Was that actually announced or stated?

[Norman]

I wonder how long before DPTI give some indication of whether 528/548/G40 buses will detour off new bus exit to North Terrace via East Terrace or Frome Street?,or will they just continue down Grenfell and Currie Streets?
Also as the whole busway timetable will have to be redrawn as a result of the new tunnel ,whether any new or additional services will be introduced?

Adelaide Metro is notorious for holding back on information until just before the changes happen. Wait and see I guess.

[fishinajar]

I wonder how long before DPTI give some indication of whether 528/548/G40 buses will detour off new bus exit to North Terrace via East Terrace or Frome Street?,or will they just continue down Grenfell and Currie Streets?
Also as the whole busway timetable will have to be redrawn as a result of the new tunnel ,whether any new or additional services will be introduced?

Didn't they also delay/call-off some scheduled major changes to the timetables early this year? I imagine due to impending opening of the city access and resultant changes.

[Norman]

I wonder how long before DPTI give some indication of whether 528/548/G40 buses will detour off new bus exit to North Terrace via East Terrace or Frome Street?,or will they just continue down Grenfell and Currie Streets?
Also as the whole busway timetable will have to be redrawn as a result of the new tunnel ,whether any new or additional services will be introduced?

Didn't they also delay/call-off some scheduled major changes to the timetables early this year? I imagine due to impending opening of the city access and resultant changes.

Yep, but I thought that was more for the trains.

[adelaide transport]

I wonder how long before DPTI give some indication of whether 528/548/G40 buses will detour off new bus exit to North Terrace via East Terrace or Frome Street?,or will they just continue down Grenfell and Currie Streets?
Also as the whole busway timetable will have to be redrawn as a result of the new tunnel ,whether any new or additional services will be introduced?

Didn't they also delay/call-off some scheduled major changes to the timetables early this year? I imagine due to impending opening of the city access and resultant changes.

Yep, but I thought that was more for the trains.

No there were major changes planned for the buses as well,but due to Government cutbacks they were deferred.
Probably big changes in January 2018 with an election due in March this Government will be throwing out sweetners everywhere desperate for votes.
With the tram extensions,the opening of the O_Bahn tunnel plus other changes they will be hoping all their plans are vote winners!

[adelaide transport]

I heard today from someone at DTPI that no decision had yet been made about any buses detouring from Grenfell Street to North Terrace or even the new RAH.

[adelaide transport]

O-Bahn upgrade.To further enhance the travel experience,a number of O-Bahn passenger related initiatives are in development.With predictions of faster boarding times,rear door validators are being installed across the O-Bahn fleet to allow commuters to lawfully board their service and validate their MetroCard at any door. Rear door validators will come into operation in late 2017(to coincide with the opening of the new underground tunnel).
The 3 O-Bahn interchanges are currently being pressure washed and painted. New way-finding and signage will shortly be installed at these interchanges to assist in finding where your bus will depart.As well signs will point to ticket machines,toilets,parkingand more.

[Norman]

More info here about future O-Bahn initiatives:
http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/O-Bahn-upgrade

[Norman]

Buses expected to start using new O-Bahn tunnel by end of the year
Adam Langenberg, The Advertiser, an hour ago

ADELAIDE buses are expected to begin using the new O-Bahn tunnel by the end of the year.

Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan spruiked the installation of the tunnel’s final roof planks as “an important milestone” for the $160 million project.

About 1000 buses will use the underground tunnel — which runs from Hackney Road to Grenfell Street — each week in a move designed to ease traffic congestion.

Critics have ridiculed the small time saving the project will deliver — just 3 ½ minutes each way — but Mr Mullighan said it would deliver great benefits for the 31,000 people who use the O-Bahn each day.

“By removing buses from the rest of the traffic we will not only give our most popular public transport network a better run, but we will also remove more than 1000 buses each weekday from the road corridor, freeing up space for more cars,” he said.

Playford MP Jack Snelling said he suspected the project would save much more than seven minutes for bus passengers each day.

“Sometimes it can take O-Bahn buses more than 20 minutes to travel from Grenfell Street to the start of Hackney Road,” Mr Snelling said.

“This project will remove a huge part of that delay, saving valuable time particularly for commuters travelling home in the afternoon.”

There is also a new flyover in the article. Disappointing to see Rundle Road back to two lanes in each direction, when the original plan had it to one lane per direction. Also, I think some of the layouts on East Terrace have also significantly changed. However, the Rymill Park exit looks promising, even if it is a bit more underwhelming to what was initially proposed.

There also seem to be some interesting entry and exit gates at each end of the project.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 32475f8f25

[Norman]

The new flyover can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfy5l__ybV0

Here are some shots provided on the DPTI website:










There is also a schedule for the remaining works:

Operational
- Construction of centrally aligned priority bus lanes between Richmond Street and Hackney Road/Botanic Road intersection
- East Terrace realignment open to traffic and road surfacing completed
- Botanic Gardens car parks (final landscaping and lighting works expected to be completed late in the second quarter of 2017)
- Last sections of roof over the tunnel on Hackney Road installed

In progress till late second quarter of 2017
- New shared use pedestrian/cycle bridge across the River Torrens
- Hackney Bridge widening works
- Park Road widening and changes to the Hackney Road / Bundeys Road intersection for the outbound priority bus lane

Late second quarter of 2017
- Extension of the Plane Tree Drive U-turn slip lane
- Reopening of the Linear Park paths under Hackney Bridge

In progress till mid-2017
- Backfilling of tunnel within Rymill and Rundle Parks

Mid 2017
- Reinstatement of fountain near East Terrace

Mid 2017 till last quarter of 2017
- Eastern service road improvements including landscaping
- Construction of the Botanic Gardens Plaza located in front of the Tram Barn and Goodman Building on Hackney Road

In progress till third quarter of 2017
- Construction of the new shared use path between the River Torrens and Hackney Road /Botanic Road intersection
- Hackney Road rehabilitation works (road resurfacing) night works
- Tunnel civil construction

Early third quarter of 2017
- Implementation of the right turn restriction from Hackney Road to Park Terrace during peak times

Third quarter of 2017
- Construction of the outbound priority bus lane from just south of Richmond Street up to the Gilberton entry
- U-turn facility to be installed between the tunnel portal and the intersection of Hackney Road and Botanic Road
- Lifting of right turn restrictions at the intersection of Hackney Road / Botanic Road / North Terrace / Dequetteville Terrace and reinstatement of all lanes on Hackney Road and Dequetteville Terrace

Last quarter of 2017
- Installation of urban design elements for the portal, including landscaping

Last quarter of 2017
- East Terrace and Rundle Road rehabilitation and upgrade works

End of 2017
- Reinstatement of parking on the eastern side of Hackney Road and Dequetteville Terrace between north of Botanic Street and Little Rundle Street with peak period weekday restrictions
- Complete tunnel testing and commissioning
- Complete operational testing

[SRW]

I'm happy that within the year we should have both the O-Bahn and new tram up and running - hooray public transport investment!

But I think in deciding to keep Rundle Road open, everything else in this project has become suboptimal. Now it seems like even more prime open space has been sacrificed to keep it two lanes while the length of the tunnel opening from Grenfell Street is far longer than was originally proposed. And it would've been great to see those power lines undergrounded too.

Perhaps when EastLink is eventually extended to the Parade they'll have to bite the bullet on Rundle Road.