27 Dec 2022: Centenary Motorway terminal gridlock/congestion not solved ...

[ozbob]

Centenary Motorway terminal gridlock/congestion not solved by river bridges

27th December 2022

Today the Premier has announced that the Centenary Bridge upgrade has been awarded to Georgiou Group and BMD Constructions, as a joint venture.

This upgrade will see a new three lane Centenary Bridge built in Jindalee, as well an upgrade of the existing bridge.

Centenary Bridge upgrade on the way https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96876

The problem with the Centenary Motorway is that there is simply too much traffic, and it is only getting worse month by month.  The bridges will just shift around a few of the road choke points, as far as relieving congestion and gridlock they will not. There is a complete lack of prioritised public transport infrastructure along the Centenary and Western Freeway motorway corridors.

What would relieve congestion is to get mode shift, from private motor vehicles to buses.  This would be achieved by providing bus priority in the form of bus lanes/transit lanes as part of the upgrade.  Unfortunately for Brisbane's West, TMR ruled out bus priority years ago.

In August 2018 it was reported in the Couriermail "Why bus lanes will help horror road" https://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/why-bus-lanes-will-help-horror-road/news-story/30b5c8f5351eb388ed61f640dcb1f42c following yet another Centenary Motorway shutdown due to gridlock.  A strong case was advanced for bus priority, but ultimately ignored.

The DG of TMR subsequently ruled out any bus priority lines for the Centenary Motorway in Parliamentary Estimates on 11 December 2020.

https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/estimates_hearings_motorway_bus_lanes_20201211

"Mr BERKMAN: So there are to be no priority bus lanes on the Centenary Motorway following that planning study?

Mr Scales: Not that I am aware of, no.

Mr BERKMAN: Thank you. "

So the failure paradigm continues with today's announcement.  No mention of any bus priority, because there is none.

Welcome to more terminal gridlock!

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion --> https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?msg=266149