News & Discussion: Roads & Traffic

[SBD]

The Blackwood train station boom gates at main coromandel road are terrible, the traffic banks all the way to the Blackwood roundabout and stops the roundabout from running. But as if they would spend any money there.

Between curved roads, houses, train station, pub, the interstate freight line, and the terrain, it seems like a pretty difficult level crossing to do anything about

The interstate freight line would be addressed if GlobeLink went ahead. I'm not familiar with the area to know if that would be sufficient, and it's definitely not a short-term fix, but neither should an underpass in this location.

[NTRabbit]

I go through it often enough to know it; I don't see how they could build and elevate a bridge over the track while retaining road connections to the very nearby houses and the Belair Hotel, and I don't see how they could shut down the freight line for the amount of time it would take to dig down into the ridge line its on and send the rail under the road. Even if globelink was more than a pipe dream, it would be decades away from replacing the existing line so that it could be even temporarily closed.

[Aidan]

NTRabbit,
It is possible to build an underpass without closing the railway any longer than would be required for normal trackwork, by using a prefabricated deck. In some cases it may be possible with no closure at all (using box jacking).

But I think RiseHigh was referring to the Blackwood crossing not the Glenalta crossing. The Blackwood crossing would be harder to grade separate, but not impossible. And it probably also requires something to be done to make it easier to turn right from East Terrace (Watahuna Avenue) to Main Road.

[Aidan]

Does anyone remember the original proposals for Salisbury whereby the bus interchange was meant to be by former Sizzlers and underpass was meant to be built for Park Terrace instead of the current underpass?

This is the first I've heard of them Would I be correct in thinking they predate the Sizzler?

Where exactly was that Sizzler anyway?

[Aidan]

Regarding the Fullarton Road/Cross Road intersection, there are complicating factors such as heritage listed buildings on the NW and SE sides. But that scarcely begins to explain the high cost.

Their preliminary solution looks terribly overengineered - what's really needed is a dedicated right turn lane from each direction (plus provision for a second right turn lane from the south) and separate left turn facilities. But even extras like third straight lanes shouldn't be that expensive.

So I'm guessing it's a categorization error — they're attributing to the intersection the other costs of upgrading Fullarton Road, which will (I hope) include medians and pocket lanes all the way from Carrick Hill Drive to Glen Osmond Road.

BTW although the posts on that topic from SBD and Goodsy are visible on the web, the Tapatalk app shows the as blank. Does anyone know why?

[Eurostar]

Does anyone remember the original proposals for Salisbury whereby the bus interchange was meant to be by former Sizzlers and underpass was meant to be built for Park Terrace instead of the current underpass?

This is the first I've heard of them Would I be correct in thinking they predate the Sizzler?

Where exactly was that Sizzler anyway?

[ChillyPhilly]

I'd like to see Park Terrace go underneath the railway line - a long box culvert should do the trick.

[NTRabbit]

NTRabbit,
It is possible to build an underpass without closing the railway any longer than would be required for normal trackwork, by using a prefabricated deck. In some cases it may be possible with no closure at all (using box jacking).

But I think RiseHigh was referring to the Blackwood crossing not the Glenalta crossing. The Blackwood crossing would be harder to grade separate, but not impossible. And it probably also requires something to be done to make it easier to turn right from East Terrace (Watahuna Avenue) to Main Road.

There's a second troublesome level crossing in Blackwood? Like most people from the Happy Valley/Aberfoyle/Flagstaff area I go to Blackwood via Coromandel Parade and Murrays Hill Rd, there's a very tall bridge over the rail there. For me the trouble has always been at the Glenalta crossing, where amounts of traffic are heading to/from Belair and Old Belair roads, and getting caught waiting for a freight train to go past is the worst.

[Goodsy]

I'd like to see Park Terrace go underneath the railway line - a long box culvert should do the trick.

I'd rather they elevate the line from Kings Road to Commercial Road and kill 3 level crossings in one go. The ARTC line being there makes it a bit harder though

[ChillyPhilly]

I'd like to see Park Terrace go underneath the railway line - a long box culvert should do the trick.

I'd rather they elevate the line from Kings Road to Commercial Road and kill 3 level crossings in one go. The ARTC line being there makes it a bit harder though

Even better. The ARTC line is a major barrier for locals.

[Aidan]

Why would you want to elevate such a long section of railway to grade separate three level crossings that could so easily be replaced with a bridge (or in the case of Park Terrace, an underpass) instead?

[SBD]

I'd like to see Park Terrace go underneath the railway line - a long box culvert should do the trick.

I'd rather they elevate the line from Kings Road to Commercial Road and kill 3 level crossings in one go. The ARTC line being there makes it a bit harder though

Even better. The ARTC line is a major barrier for locals.

At some stage in the future, the ARTC line could be replaced by a new route adjacent to the Northern Connector. That was a Labor plan, but the most likely time for it to actually happen seems to be as the end of the the GlobeLink from Monarto to Port Adelaide.

[ChillyPhilly]

I'd rather they elevate the line from Kings Road to Commercial Road and kill 3 level crossings in one go. The ARTC line being there makes it a bit harder though

Even better. The ARTC line is a major barrier for locals.

At some stage in the future, the ARTC line could be replaced by a new route adjacent to the Northern Connector. That was a Labor plan, but the most likely time for it to actually happen seems to be as the end of the the GlobeLink from Monarto to Port Adelaide.

I wonder what it will mean for the Ghan and Indian Pacific. Freight can be moved relatively easy, but we can't put an interstate rail terminal in Dry Creek or at Monarto.

[SBD]

Even better. The ARTC line is a major barrier for locals.

At some stage in the future, the ARTC line could be replaced by a new route adjacent to the Northern Connector. That was a Labor plan, but the most likely time for it to actually happen seems to be as the end of the the GlobeLink from Monarto to Port Adelaide.

I wonder what it will mean for the Ghan and Indian Pacific. Freight can be moved relatively easy, but we can't put an interstate rail terminal in Dry Creek or at Monarto.

I would guess that the existing line from Mile End to Dry Creek would remain for those services, and perhaps the Overland too if the Hills line returns to broad gauge or is taken over by commuter services.

[Goodsy]

A roundabout is being planned for the Intersection of Davis Street and Francis Road in Wingfield