PRO: Port Adelaide Tramline | $260m

[rubberman]

A bit more of an update on progress 0920 Sunday).

The concreting is now complete in North Terrace connecting the existing track to the new.

More overhead has been put up near the West Terrace stop with the down track overhead crossing the intersection.

The worker chappies are still working on the bridge setting up for pouring of concrete, although whether they are going to pour tonight I am not certain. But it's close.

There are a couple of bucket trucks working with guys working on the bracket arms.

The tensioning wheels are in the tension poles just west of the West Terrace stop.

Fascinating.

[Norman]

Thanks for the upgates guys, will sure be interesting to see of they can finish in 3 weeks.

[iTouch]

Thanks for the upgates guys, will sure be interesting to see of they can finish in 3 weeks.

3 weeks? geez looez time goes fast.

[The Scooter Guy]

Thanks for the upgates guys, will sure be interesting to see of they can finish in 3 weeks.

3 weeks? geez looez time goes fast.

Indeed! On what day the test runs will begin?

[rubberman]

Realistically, cleanup and landscaping will need a period of a week to do. However, the trams could be doing test and training in that week after all the other things (below) are done.

The overhead will take a week to do (the stringing up may only take a day or two, but the preparatory work, setting up, installing those tensioners, adjustments will take just as long if not more).

However, the overhead really cannot be completed until all crane work is finished since the obvious natural enemies of overhead are cranes. (It can be done in sections where the cranes are not, but that might mean cutting odd lengths of overhead so not recommended). The cranes are needed maybe for stops and ent cent construction.

The building of stops and filling in of medians will take at least a week more to do imo - and then may be only up to a 'look ok' standard (eg maybe only one coat of paint, no decals/signs etc).

So my guessing is that the stops may be able to take trams without disrupting work and sort of look ok in a week, some overhead work - mostly preparatory in the coming week.

The following week, putting up the overhead (or completion of it round the stops).

The third week, testing trams and clean up of site and some landscaping.

But I am not betting anything. And Murphy's law will surely prevail.

[Wayno]

I drove past the tramline extension today - they might have the trams running by march, but i bet much of the peripheral work won't be complete (landscaping, retaining walls in the parklands, road resurfacing). porobably another 3+ months for those aspects i think. Still, it's amazing how much progress has been made in such a short period of time.

Now, all we need is for rezoning of nearby suburbia to allow for substantially increased height!

[Nort]

This is getting a bit further ahead now, but where do people expect things to go from here? While the current goal is of coast to coast rail, I can't see that happening for a long time if the Adelaide Oval AFL plan goes ahead and reduces the priority of a West Lakes stop.

I think that the next tram line extension announced will be to go to North Adelaide, conveniently placing a tram stop right on the doorstep of a redeveloped Adelaide Oval.

[Norman]

We'll probably know in the next few weeks as the election edges closer.

[Shuz]

When the Adelaide Oval redevelopment was announced, Mike Rann pubicly stated that there will not be a tramline to Adelaide Oval or North Adelaide, when asked about improving PT accessibility. The $20m pedestrian bridge is designed to take people to the train station and tram stop quicker.

[Punk Rooster]

apologies if this has already been addressed....

why is the tram line being built as a separate lane/passage?
wasn't the purpose of having trams on the roads, is to share (like King William St south of Victoria Square)
For mine it defeats the purpose.
Also, the design (in my mind) leaves a lot to be desired- it takes too many twists & turns.
Almost as if too much thought was put into the process.

Finally, the Semaphore Road end has been redeveloped- has this been a waste of time & money?

[Nort]

When the Adelaide Oval redevelopment was announced, Mike Rann pubicly stated that there will not be a tramline to Adelaide Oval or North Adelaide, when asked about improving PT accessibility. The $20m pedestrian bridge is designed to take people to the train station and tram stop quicker.

And just before the Adelaide Oval redevelopment was announced you had Mike Rann publicly spruiking the state government plan to give $100 million to upgrade AAMI stadium and how there was no need for an updated stadium in the city.

[Aidan]

apologies if this has already been addressed....

why is the tram line being built as a separate lane/passage?

So the trams aren't held up by cars. Admittedly we're not seeing much of a benefit at the moment, as the trams don't have signal priority. But once they get that the difference is likely to be huge.

wasn't the purpose of having trams on the roads, is to share (like King William St south of Victoria Square)

No, the purpose is to get the trams to where the people want to go, while avoiding expensive land acquisition!

For mine it defeats the purpose.
Also, the design (in my mind) leaves a lot to be desired- it takes too many twists & turns.
Almost as if too much thought was put into the process.

It would be nice to avoid twists and turns - but when it's a choice between having them or encroaching on the Parklands, I'd expect most people would prefer the former.

Finally, the Semaphore Road end has been redeveloped- has this been a waste of time & money?

No, but the Port Adelaide viaduct replacement has been an enormous waste of time and money, at huge inconvenience to the residents of the Lefevre Peninsula.

[ChrisRT]

apologies if this has already been addressed....

why is the tram line being built as a separate lane/passage?
wasn't the purpose of having trams on the roads, is to share (like King William St south of Victoria Square)
For mine it defeats the purpose.
Also, the design (in my mind) leaves a lot to be desired- it takes too many twists & turns.
Almost as if too much thought was put into the process.

Finally, the Semaphore Road end has been redeveloped- has this been a waste of time & money?

Can't respond to all your points, but with regards to being built as a separate lane/passage, otherwise known as a reserved right-of-way (ROW), the reason for this is it vastly improves service reliability. The Trams are able to bypass traffic, thus making them faster and a more attractive travel option. It is also safer because cars are less likely to cut in front of them, particularly if you ban right-hand turns. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV2rdGX4JYc for examples of what can happen when cars try to cut in front of trams.

[mattblack]

When the Adelaide Oval redevelopment was announced, Mike Rann pubicly stated that there will not be a tramline to Adelaide Oval or North Adelaide, when asked about improving PT accessibility. The $20m pedestrian bridge is designed to take people to the train station and tram stop quicker.

And just before the Adelaide Oval redevelopment was announced you had Mike Rann publicly spruiking the state government plan to give $100 million to upgrade AAMI stadium and how there was no need for an updated stadium in the city.

Nothing is offical yet. Rann has basically said that IF the SACA and SANFL can get things signed off he will divert funds. It really has nothing to do with the government. Rann has hedged his bets either way and will put funding into wichever venue gets the go-ahead.

[Waewick]

I must have missed the part about the trams going to semaphore ?

did they upgrade that expecting them?

not saying its a bad idea (its not) I just didn't realise it was an idea.