[U/C] Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

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MT269
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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#271 Post by MT269 » Tue Dec 06, 2022 10:26 pm

Not sure if you're referring to any side lane, like with the Goodwood Rd underpass, or lack of ability to turn right onto Torrens Rd. Would be you mind elaborating a little please?

7 + 8-12 minutes vs about 19-20 minutes plus time to reach the car is a small difference, factoring in walking time. It may be quicker. But this is on the provision that trains actually stop at the station, and departs at a time which suits the traveler. A 15 minute service is what's needed. But it won't happen in SA.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#272 Post by Nort » Wed Dec 07, 2022 9:03 am

It's an absolutely nightmare trying to get across Torrens Road as a pedestrian right now, with the new crossing not open yet and the listed one for during construction not present. Ended up having the option of going all the way up to Park Tce to use the crossing there, or just darting across the road.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#273 Post by rev » Wed Dec 07, 2022 9:42 am

MT269 wrote:
Tue Dec 06, 2022 10:26 pm
Not sure if you're referring to any side lane, like with the Goodwood Rd underpass, or lack of ability to turn right onto Torrens Rd. Would be you mind elaborating a little please?

7 + 8-12 minutes vs about 19-20 minutes plus time to reach the car is a small difference, factoring in walking time. It may be quicker. But this is on the provision that trains actually stop at the station, and departs at a time which suits the traveler. A 15 minute service is what's needed. But it won't happen in SA.
You would have to walk to your parked car as well wouldn't you?

Grade separating Torrens/Churchill..
What would be the point if it were to have on off ramps? What would be the benefit over the intersection?

Would someone be able to turn left from Torrens onto Churchill?
Would they be able to turn right from Torrens onto Churchill, or left AND right from Churchill onto Torrens?
This would all require ramps to the side and/or under the overpass. Isn't this all currently going to be achievable with the intersection?
It sounds like it would be a hugely over engineered and expensive piece of infrastructure to save 30-60 seconds at one set of traffic lights while creating other issues that are addressed by having a signalised intersection.

Thered also probably be a reduction in lanes at the Torrens/Jeffcot/Park/Fitzroy intersection.
Not to mention a good chunk of the left turning lane for Fitzroy Tce would probably be taken up by a ramp from Churchill road.
You'd then have the nightmare of people trying to dart across to the right turning lane to get to Park tce in a short space.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#274 Post by EBG » Mon Dec 19, 2022 2:50 pm

the second west bound lane is open, but speed restrictions still apply as there is still road works further down (towards Port Adelaide) on Torrens Rd.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#275 Post by MT269 » Mon Dec 19, 2022 9:56 pm

Well, Churchill Rd needs widening. Way too many buses get delayed by the unofficial 50kph limit in 60 zones that many motorists are now adhering to. There is the space, but not the desired funding allocation.

A while ago, there were 1.5km long queues at Regency Rd in peak hour. The only possible remaining downgrade to this rd would be to have one lane for both directions, IE bidirectional. There is not heaps of heritage listed properties along this corridor.

Adelaide really needs to abolish the mindset that narrow single lane roads are more efficient than wider ones. IE Elder Smith Rd Bridge, and many other examples. Imagine if Main North Rd was one lane for both directions.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#276 Post by Patrick_27 » Mon Dec 19, 2022 11:03 pm

MT269 wrote:
Mon Dec 19, 2022 9:56 pm
Adelaide really needs to abolish the mindset that narrow single lane roads are more efficient than wider ones. IE Elder Smith Rd Bridge, and many other examples. Imagine if Main North Rd was one lane for both directions.
No, Adelaide needs to abolish the mindset that this city’s future planning should be solely focused on private vehicles movements. Churchill Road has been designed to be pedestrian friendly.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#277 Post by Norman » Mon Dec 19, 2022 11:06 pm

There is no way Churchill Road is getting widened, and nor should it. I would even support making it a 50km/h road like Prospect Road.

This corridor should continue to focus on increasing density in our inner suburbs.

If there are traffic issues, the cars can go somewhere else. There are plenty of other ways to get to the north, including a recently upgraded, freeway-grade road that has very little congestion.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#278 Post by Pistol » Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:03 am

While workers have stood down for the Christmas break, they did open the turning lanes onto Churchill Road before they walked off.
The playground was also open as well.
The area under the bridge looks fantastic!
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#279 Post by rev » Sat Dec 24, 2022 1:26 pm

Pistol wrote:
Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:03 am
While workers have stood down for the Christmas break, they did open the turning lanes onto Churchill Road before they walked off.
The playground was also open as well.
The area under the bridge looks fantastic!
Sadly the bridge has been graffitied already.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#280 Post by RetroGamer87 » Wed Aug 30, 2023 12:58 pm

MT269 wrote:
Mon Dec 19, 2022 9:56 pm

Adelaide really needs to abolish the mindset that narrow single lane roads are more efficient than wider ones. IE Elder Smith Rd Bridge, and many other examples. Imagine if Main North Rd was one lane for both directions.
Elder Smith Rd bridge was clearly designed to be upgraded to 4 lanes. The earthworks are already 4 lanes wide.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#281 Post by MT269 » Tue Oct 24, 2023 11:43 pm

RetroGamer87 wrote:
Wed Aug 30, 2023 12:58 pm

Elder Smith Rd bridge was clearly designed to be upgraded to 4 lanes. The earthworks are already 4 lanes wide.
So why was it built as a one lane road? Earthworks are just soil, unless they're actually serving their intended purpose.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#282 Post by Norman » Wed Oct 25, 2023 12:50 pm

MT269 wrote:
Tue Oct 24, 2023 11:43 pm
RetroGamer87 wrote:
Wed Aug 30, 2023 12:58 pm

Elder Smith Rd bridge was clearly designed to be upgraded to 4 lanes. The earthworks are already 4 lanes wide.
So why was it built as a one lane road? Earthworks are just soil, unless they're actually serving their intended purpose.
The same reason the Southern Expressway was built only one-way... to save money.

This happens a lot around Australia, where roads are built to only serve the initial capacity required and is upgraded later when the need for more lanes exists.

In this case the capacity has outstripped the capacity, and this can be seen by the many traffic delays on Salisbury Highway in the morning and afternoon peaks. It should be duplicated ASAP.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#283 Post by RetroGamer87 » Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:24 am

Norman wrote:
Wed Oct 25, 2023 12:50 pm
MT269 wrote:
Tue Oct 24, 2023 11:43 pm
RetroGamer87 wrote:
Wed Aug 30, 2023 12:58 pm

Elder Smith Rd bridge was clearly designed to be upgraded to 4 lanes. The earthworks are already 4 lanes wide.
So why was it built as a one lane road? Earthworks are just soil, unless they're actually serving their intended purpose.
The same reason the Southern Expressway was built only one-way... to save money.

This happens a lot around Australia, where roads are built to only serve the initial capacity required and is upgraded later when the need for more lanes exists.
Sounds like it would end up actually costing more money overall, as compared with building the whole thing in one go.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#284 Post by SBD » Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:26 pm

RetroGamer87 wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:24 am
Norman wrote:
Wed Oct 25, 2023 12:50 pm
MT269 wrote:
Tue Oct 24, 2023 11:43 pm


So why was it built as a one lane road? Earthworks are just soil, unless they're actually serving their intended purpose.
The same reason the Southern Expressway was built only one-way... to save money.

This happens a lot around Australia, where roads are built to only serve the initial capacity required and is upgraded later when the need for more lanes exists.
Sounds like it would end up actually costing more money overall, as compared with building the whole thing in one go.
Yes, the total cost overall would be higher, but the utility is achieved sooner by building only what is needed now, instead of waiting until enough money is available to build the larger project all at once.

Look at how many phases the North South Motorway has taken. We could have waited until there was enough money to build it all the way from Noarlunga to Gawler in one big sweep. In practice, there would never be that much money sitting in one fund available, so the earlier phases (Southern and Northern Expressways, Superway, T2T, Darlington, Northern Connector) wouldn't have been available yet because the state hadn't saved enough pennies to dig the tunnels The 2015 ten-year-plan identified the middle bit as the highest priority, but we've got the other bits first as money became available.

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[U/C] Re: Ovingham Level Crossing Removal | $231m

#285 Post by Spotto » Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:12 am

SBD wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:26 pm
The 2015 ten-year-plan identified the middle bit as the highest priority, but we've got the other bits first as money became available.
I’d go a step further and add that the smaller bits of the NSM also functioned as proof of concept/commitment to the eventual full upgrade.

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