Articles: Brisbane road tunnels

[somebody]

Hahahahahahahahahahaha Here endith the road tunnel obsession.

I doubt that.  It's probably too late to stop the Airport Link, and it's definitely too late to stop the Go Between Bridge (yes, I know that's not a tunnel).

[#Metro]

Am I really reading this?
Clem7 Tunnel may end Toll Projects

He said it was early days for the Clem7 tunnel, which opened about five weeks ago, but a failure to meet traffic volume targets would make investors and governments think twice about the value of partnerships between the public and private sectors to deliver big infrastructure projects.

Maybe Brisbane will finally get out of the 1960s...

[Jon Bryant]

Hahahahahahahahahahaha Here endith the road tunnel obsession.

I doubt that.  It's probably too late to stop the Airport Link, and it's definitely too late to stop the Go Between Bridge (yes, I know that's not a tunnel).

Still doubting it?

[somebody]

Hahahahahahahahahahaha Here endith the road tunnel obsession.

I doubt that.  It's probably too late to stop the Airport Link, and it's definitely too late to stop the Go Between Bridge (yes, I know that's not a tunnel).

Still doubting it?

I still think it's too late to stop the Airport Link.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the future.  Perhaps funded from the public purse in the future.  Sydney's M5 East was done that way after the Harbour Tunnel, M4 section, original M5, Eastern Distributor although I think the Lane Cove Tunnel and Cross City Tunnel were disastrously done as PPPs later.  Not too sure about the M7.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Clem7 tunnel may end toll projects, admits Campbell Newman

Clem7 tunnel may end toll projects, admits Campbell Newman

    * by Craig Johnstone
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * April 20, 2010 7:40PM

BRISBANE'S Clem7 tunnel was running well below the "benchmark of success" and its operation had implications for the success of future toll roads in the city, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman admitted yesterday.

Cr Newman told a business function in Brisbane that he would be "watching with great interest" future traffic volumes through the tunnel.

He said it was early days for the Clem7 tunnel, which opened about five weeks ago, but a failure to meet traffic volume targets would make investors and governments think twice about the value of partnerships between the public and private sectors to deliver big infrastructure projects.

"We'll obviously be watching with great interest on how those volumes grow in coming weeks," he told a Committee for the Economic Development of Australia forum.

While Clem7 operators Rivercity Motorway last week said traffic was running at 20,000 vehicles a day, the council was projecting 38,000 vehicles a day.

"The honest answer is that that is the benchmark of success," he said.

Cr Newman said the city's next toll road, the council's own Go Between Bridge linking Milton and South Brisbane, would be open in July with a projected usage of 12,000 to 13,000 vehicles a day.

But he was more upbeat on other business developments affecting the city, telling the function council was talking to several firms about rolling out fast broadband connections. He said more than 60 per cent of businesses wanted next generation broadband facilities.

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Council nervous about toll bridge

Council nervous about toll bridge
TONY MOORE
April 21, 2010 - 6:04AM

A lack of traffic in the Clem7 has Brisbane City Council nervous about the Go Between Bridge.

Lower than expected volumes on the Clem7 has made Brisbane City Council nervous about the prospects of its next toll road project, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman conceded yesterday.

Just 22,000 vehicles used the new tunnel daily in the first Monday to Friday period after the toll was introduced, well under the 65,000 a day who used it prior.

Cr Newman said council was now concerned about the "traffic popularity" of the Go Between Bridge, given the reluctance of motorists to embrace the Clem7.

"We will obviously be watching the progress about how those traffic numbers grow over the coming weeks," he said.

"[Clem7 tunnel traffic] is around 23,000 [daily] right now and our predictions were around 38,000."

Brisbane City Council predicts about 13,000 vehicles to use the Go Between toll bridge when it opens later this year.

Council forecasts have that increasing to 21,000 a day after 11 years.

"We are opening the Go Between Bridge around July this year and I think we need to get around 12,000 to 13,000 vehicles a day," Cr Newman said.

"So we will be watching very carefully ... we are quite interested in the result."

Last month, council opposition leader Shayne Sutton warned that ratepayers would face a burden of $9.8 million for the next 17 years if traffic numbers did not grow as expected.

"Unlike the Clem7, ratepayers are the ones bearing all the financial risk of this project if the Go Between Bridge doesn't stack up," she said.

A council spokesman did not dispute the figures, but said while they were sensible budget provisions necessary if traffic numbers did not eventuate and that council remained confident of revenue from the tolls.

Brisbane City Council will pay more than $370 million for the Go Between Bridge - running from Milton across the Brisbane River to South Brisbane - and plans to recoup its borrowings with a $2.70 toll.

The toll, which would rise in line with CPI, is planned for 45 years.

Council recently paid the outstanding $503 million for the Clem 7 tunnel.

The full $773 million pricetag is ratepayers' first exposure to the public private partnership project with River City Motorway to build Brisbane's first toll tunnel.

[Jon Bryant]

Lord Mayor Newman, please finally accept that building more roads will not fix congestion.  Same goes for the Ministers for Main Roads and Transport.  Reduce Airport Tunnel to just the Busway.   

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Traffic flow signals no light at the end of the tunnel for RiverCity

Traffic flow signals no light at the end of the tunnel for RiverCity

    * Tony Grant-Taylor
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * April 22, 2010 12:00AM

CLEM7 toll road operator RiverCity Motorway is keeping its fingers crossed that traffic on its under-river tunnel in Brisbane picks up soon.

Although traffic is so far running well below the group's projections, it has significant cash up its sleeve to weather short-term traffic-shortfalls, after paying out the tunnel's builders and completing its financing agreements with the Brisbane City Council. But it also carries a large debt burden - which traffic flow needs to service in the medium term.

RiverCity's net operating cash outflows for the March quarter were $4.5 million against outflows of $65.8 million in the previous corresponding period.

Payments for net assets, as its tunnel was completed, cost it another $233.1 million net in the period, against $558.5 million previously.

Meanwhile, the group saw net financing inflows of $411.4 million, as previously deferred equity contributions came in, borrowings were repaid or replaced by long-term facilities, and Brisbane City Council, which commissioned the tunnel, came up with its last major payment.

The result was that RiverCity ended the March quarter with $245.8 million in hand. However, the group, whose $1 paid shares were yesterday languishing at 10.5, finished the quarter with total debt of $1.34 billion. The interest bill on that amount will now start to ramp up in earnest.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Tunnel failure could lead to ratepayer pain

Tunnel failure could lead to ratepayer pain
TONY MOORE
April 23, 2010 - 5:45AM

Council remained confident the motoring public would embrace the Northern Link toll tunnel, despite the Clem7 performing well below expectations.

Last year, a Queensland Treasury Corporation report into Brisbane City Council's finances warned rates and charges would need to increase if Northern Link did not meet traffic projections.

The QTC report specifically says: "BCC's commitment to Northern Link may limit its ability to fund other capital expenditure and could result in deferral of projects related to core activities."

Council opposition leader Shayne Sutton yesterday repeated the QTC's warnings, after figures released last week showed just 23,000 vehicles a day used the Clem7, well below the 60,000 predicted by its operator, RiverCity Motorway.

"I think irrespective of what is happening on Clem7, we need to review the way we will fund Northern Link," Cr Sutton said.

"They need to have a serious look at the feasibility of Northern Link."

Last year, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman scrapped a public-private partnership model, similar to the one that delivered the Clem7, to fund Northern Link in favour of funding the $1.87 billion project itself.

However, Cr Newman rejected the suggestion there would be project delays and higher rates.

"There are no plans to delay any projects when the budget comes down in early June," he said.

Cr Newman also rejected suggestions rates and charges would have to rise beyond inflation to cover the cost of toll projects if traffic projections did not meet expectations.

"Council is confident of its traffic numbers," he said.

Work on Northern Link, which will run from the Toowong Roundabout to the Inner City Bypass, is due to begin later this year and be completed by 2014.

It is part of road and congestion busting project blitz that will increase Brisbane City Council's gross debt from $345 million (2009) to $1.17 billion in 2010, peaking at $2.323 billion in 2014.

The QTC reports says: "It should be within BCC's capacity to fund this shortfall through higher rates and utility charge increases, based on BCC's current forecast increases of 2.5 per cent per annum after 2012."

Cr Newman said Queensland Treasury told Council the tunnel could not go ahead as a public private partnership.

"Council was advised by Queensland Treasury not to pursue a PPP model, instead to borrow monies to fund the project," he said.

Cr Newman said Brisbane's third toll tunnel - to be delivered after the Clem7 and the state government's Airport Link tunnel - would go ahead.

"Northern Link has to happen and nothing has changed," he said.

"The ALP has no plan to reduce traffic congestion that exists largely because of their failure to invest in infrastructure when they were the administration."

[#Metro]

I think the Go Between bridge will be the deal maker/deal breaker for the rest of TransApex.
We all wait with bated breath!

[Jon Bryant]

For our economy, our health, our safety, our communities and our environment sake let's hope so!!!!!!!!

[ozbob]

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe
23/04/2010

Northern Link Tunnel receives conditional approval

Planning for the $1.7 billion Northern Link Road Tunnel in Brisbane has reached another milestone with the Coordinator-General granting conditional approval for the project, Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe announced today.

"Brisbane City Council (BCC) is proposing to build a 7km twin-tunnel underground toll road linking the Centenary Motorway at Toowong to the Inner City Bypass at Herston," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"The Coordinator-General's evaluation report of the project's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) now allows the reference design for the project to proceed subject to strict conditions.

"The Northern Link Road Tunnel is obviously a major piece of infrastructure that will have a positive impact on improving traffic flows in Brisbane.

"Its construction will need to be managed carefully to minimise any adverse impacts on local residents and the environment."

Mr Hinchliffe said the Coordinator-General and the Department of Infrastructure and Planning spent 28 months thoroughly assessing Brisbane City Council's Environmental Impact Statement and associated materials, including 213 public submissions and a supplementary Environmental Impact Statement.

Coordinator-General Colin Jensen said the 34 conditions in the evaluation report were the most extensive and stringent ever for a transport infrastructure project in Queensland, and included extra controls developed from experience gained with other road tunnel projects in Brisbane.

"Overall, compared to these other projects, the Northern Link Road Tunnel was much simpler, will have less impact on residents and the environment with no homes resumed," Mr Jensen said.

"The most common issues of concern raised in the public submissions were surface impacts on properties and the widening of streets in Toowong due to proposed local tunnel connections onto Milton Road at Toowong and at Kelvin Grove.

"As part of the Environmental Impact Statement process, the project has been significantly improved. In April 2009, in response to the concerns raised, Brisbane City Council prepared a supplementary Environmental Impact Statement and decided to remove the local tunnel connections from the scope of the project.

"Another major concern raised in the submissions was the air quality levels from the two ventilation outlets. One is proposed at each end of the tunnel.

"Conditions governing air emissions from the ventilation outlets will be covered directly by an environmental authority set by the Department of Environment and Resource Management. These conditions are set out in the report.

"During construction, rock excavated from the tunnels will be transported to Mt Coot-tha Quarry by a conveyor belt. Any changes to the conveyor route proposed recently by council will be subject to further separate assessment once council has completed its tender process."

Mr Hinchliffe said capital investment for this project was an estimated $1.7 billion. The Federal Government committed $500 million and the State Government previously contributed $5 million for planning studies.

It is expected to generate up to 1400 construction jobs and 85 operational jobs.

Mr Jensen said the Northern Link Road Tunnel had been declared a significant project, for which an EIS was required under Part 4 of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971, on November 2, 2007.

The Coordinator-General's Report can be viewed at www.dip.qld.gov.au/projects

==============================================================

[#Metro]

Its not over- NL tunnel just got approved.
Will we see the reclamation of Coronation Drive for bus lanes now?

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Grave concerns over Northern Link tunnel work

Grave concerns over Northern Link tunnel work
TONY MOORE
April 25, 2010

Vibrations from tunnelling machines will interrupt the sleep of residents in 246 homes near the Toowong Cemetery and shake large monuments in the graveyard's "honeycombed" hill, according to a report into the Northern Link tunnel.

Queensland Co-ordinator General Colin Jensen last week warned that work on the $1.7 billion project would create vibrations that exceeded 0.5 millimetres per second - the level at which they interrupt people's sleep.

"Vibration is predicted to exceed this guide value at up to 246 residences above the mainline tunnels," he said in the report.

"Therefore a condition requiring vibration monitoring and vibration mitigation measures is warranted."

Brisbane City Council was unable to say last week if residents affected by the vibrations would be offered alternative housing.

However, alternative housing was provided to residents affected by both the Clem7 and Airport Link tunnel projects.

Mr Jensen's report also recommends that action to reduce damage to statues, graves and large monuments - such as the one which sits over the grave of the man considered the father of Brisbane, Patrick Mayne - must start before any tunnelling begins.

"Vibration ... at a small area on the footpath of Mount Coot-tha road along the southern edge of Toowong cemetery and a 230 metre section through the cemetery could exceed the guide value for heritage places (2mm/s) unless special mitigation measures are not deployed," the report says.

"Vibration levels of 2-5mm/s are predicted for a 0.26 hectare area above the mainline tunnels on both sides of the more southerly drainage line through the cemetery before mitigation."

Friends of Toowong Cemetery president Hilda Maclean said she not worried about Patrick Mayne's monument collapsing, but was very worried about monuments near the Governor Blackall monument. "That is where they really need to be careful because the Governor Blackall monument is in the middle - the [proposed north and southbound] tunnels will go either side of that," she said.

Ms Maclean said some monuments had already fallen on the steep cemetery terraces in this section, which she described as the "dress circle" of the historic cemetery.

But she added that she was a historian, not an engineer, and was pleased the State Government and Brisbane City Council recognised protective research had to be done before tunnelling began.

A spokeswoman for Infrastructure Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said large monuments would have to be shored up to protect them from the vibrations.

"I have been advised by the coordinator-general that prior to construction Brisbane City Council will have to conduct condition surveys of all stone or brickwork and any faults or damages will have to be repaired before tunnelling begins," the spokeswoman said.

Infrastructure Minister Stirling Hinchliffe approved the project on Friday and said conditions to manage tunnelling vibrations were among the 34 conditions made by Mr Jensen on Friday.

Rock and soil from the tunnel will be taken by a conveyor belt system to the nearby Mt Coot-tha Quarry - beside the Mt Coot-tha Botanical Garden - and dumped.

Access to the controversial Mt Coot-tha Bikeway - installed by the State Government after the project was announced - will have to be "managed" by the project team winning the tender.

Three firms have until next month to finalise their bids and a preferred builder will be chosen later this year.

The work will start before Christmas and be finished in 2014.

[somebody]

How can they even consider pushing through with the northern link now?

[#Metro]

Tally up values:

Northern Link: $2 Billion
Clem7: $3 Billion
Gateway upgrade: 1.9 Billion
Go Between 0.3 Billion
Airport Link: 5.6 Billion

Total: ~ 13 Billion on roads
http://media01.couriermail.com.au/multimedia/2010/01/infrastructure/index.html

ICRCS: 7 Billion

[Golliwog]

I think NL is acceptable as it removes trucks that currently use Milton Rd just as a through route, however what got me though was due to local resident complaints you can only get onto it if you are heading inbound on the Western freeway, similarly getting out at Toowong you have to go outbound on the WF. How many possible users of this tunnel are going to be deterred because of this. I mean having to go all the way along to Moggil Rd and back to turn around is ridiculous. Although I do admit I remember seeing some of the original plans with greater access and what was proposed was excessive.

As an aside however, the 2 Toowong roundabouts at the end of the WF need to be removed/replaced. Roundabouts are not the best solutions for the traffic movements that occur there (i.e: Through movements)

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Airport Link works to create traffic chaos on Lutwyche Rd

Airport Link works to create traffic chaos on Lutwyche Rd

    * by Ursula Heger
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * April 26, 2010 11:00PM

ONE of Brisbane's worst traffic bottlenecks will be stripped of an outbound lane for up to six months to make way for construction on the $5.6 billion Airport Link project.

Officials yesterday confirmed a 500m stretch north-bound on Lutwyche Rd, between Northey St and Newmarket Rd, would be reduced to three lanes during construction of an off-ramp for the Airport Link tunnel.

As a result, one lane of the Inner City Bypass off-ramp leading to Lutwyche Rd will also be closed for the same period, in a bid to reduce chaos as cars merge on the major arterial.

Motorists using the off-ramp have been warned to use alternative exits.

The work will also see a set of lights connecting Lutwyche Rd and Federation St ripped up - forcing motorists attempting to head northbound to perform u-turns at a roundabout near the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. The changes could dramatically worsen congestion in the area, which has become a bottleneck since the Clem7 opened.

Brisbane City Council data previously released to The Courier-Mail showed traffic in a nearby section of Lutwyche Rd increased by 6800 cars in the first day after the $3 billion Clem7 opened.

The state's peak motoring body RACQ said it would take a "wait and see" approach to the changes, saying the removal of traffic lights at Federation St could help traffic flow.

Thiess-John Holland has also admitted a south-bound lane of Lutwyche Rd will also be closed to traffic later this year.

A spokeswoman for TJH acknowledged the changes would cause problems for residents and motorists, but said construction would be cut to six months for the off-ramp.

"This traffic change will reduce construction impacts on Lutwyche Rd from 10 months to six months as the lane closure along with changed construction methodologies, such as pre-casting much of the construction material rather than preparing it on-site, will minimise the duration and the impact of the work on Lutwyche Rd," she said.

She denied the road closures would cause further headaches for motorists, saying drivers on Bowen Bridge Rd and in the Clem7 would benefit from the removal of the Federation St traffic lights.

A Brisbane City Council spokeswoman said there were no other alternatives.

[longboi]

I think NL is acceptable as it removes trucks that currently use Milton Rd just as a through route, however what got me though was due to local resident complaints you can only get onto it if you are heading inbound on the Western freeway, similarly getting out at Toowong you have to go outbound on the WF. How many possible users of this tunnel are going to be deterred because of this. I mean having to go all the way along to Moggil Rd and back to turn around is ridiculous. Although I do admit I remember seeing some of the original plans with greater access and what was proposed was excessive.

As an aside however, the 2 Toowong roundabouts at the end of the WF need to be removed/replaced. Roundabouts are not the best solutions for the traffic movements that occur there (i.e: Through movements)

Well I think the idea is to separate through traffic (i.e. Route 5 traffic from the North travelling West) from the local traffic. Local road users will stick to local roads and benefit from through traffic being routed onto the NL.

[somebody]

For the roundabouts, I suggest a third eastbound traffic lane for the western roundabout, and a third lane right around the roundabout for the eastern roundabout.  Should be enough so long as the approach/take off roads also receive appropriate upgrades.

I doubt there is any need for upgrades east of Milton Rd/Sylvan Rd for some time, but they do need to get rid of that pinch point where the road is only 2 lanes wide west of there

[Golliwog]

My point about the roundabouts had nothing to do with traffic on the main throughfare. Thats the problem, all the other cars trying to get on have to give way, so unless theres a car coming from the other side that has right of way over the Milton Rd/Western Freeway traffic, the other cars have to wait or try and jump into a small gap. They had the same problem at the Rode Rd roundabout, so they gave the main through route an overpass. Expensive and all but it worked.

[somebody]

I could never understand why the overpass at the eastern roundabout was connected to Frederick St.  Seems to be the victim of some penny pinching.

[Golliwog]

Yeah, well unless they remove that (doubtful) to replace it with an overpass for the WF/Milton Rd, perhaps they could instead build an underpass like they have planned for the Kessels Rd/Mains Rd Intersection.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Airport Link tunnel noise forces people out of their homes

Airport Link tunnel noise forces people out of their homes

    * by Ursula Heger
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * April 27, 2010 7:48PM

INNER-CITY Brisbane residents are being forced out of their homes or must put up with around-the-clock construction, with Airport Link workers ramping up operations.

Companies behind the $5.6 billion project have begun working 24-hours, seven days a week at the Bowen Hills site, after increasing operating hours at the Toombul site late last year.

Residents say complaints are falling on deaf ears, despite previous assurances from the State Government they would not face around-the-clock work.

Bowen Hills resident Matt Chalk said he would have to move his wife and young son, after round-the-clock construction began within metres of his home.

Mr Chalk said while many residents believed Airport Link would benefit the community, he objected to the way residents' concerns were being handled.

"We are not against the tunnel. We think it will be great for Brisbane. What we are against is the way that the project has been managed by Thiess John Holland and managed by the State Government – City North Infrastructure," he said.

"They are the ones that can control the contractor and they are just not doing that."

Residents have accused the operator of exploiting holes in conditions set down by Co-ordinator General Colin Jensen.

Mr Jensen ruled that surface construction creating "excessive levels of noise, vibration, dust or construction traffic movements" be limited to certain hours.

Both CNI and TJH have refused to tell residents what levels are considered "excessive".

If the project finishes by its deadline of June 30, 2012, executives behind Airport Link will be given bonuses.

BrisConnections chief executive Ray Wilson will personally receive a $975,000 bonus, on top of his $650,000-a-year salary.

Clayfield's Denise Keim said the government had reneged on a promise to protect residents.

"We do feel that our interests haven't been looked after."

In a letter to former Clayfield MP Liddy Clark in 2006, then transport minister Paul Lucas promised construction activity would not be "24 hours a day, seven days a week".

A spokeswoman for Infrastructure Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Mr Lucas was "correct at the time of writing" but changes had since been made to the project.

A spokesman for the Co-ordinator General said Airport Link work was "closely monitored to ensure that appropriate mitigation measures are in place to limit noise generation".

A TJH spokeswoman said work was within the conditions set down for the project.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Clem7 operator considers discount toll as patronage falls below expectations

Clem7 operator considers discount toll as patronage falls below expectations

    * by Ursula Heger
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * May 03, 2010 12:00AM

THERE is a growing prospect the discounted period on the Clem7 tunnel will be extended.

The tunnel's operators, RiverCity Motorway, are set to decide this week whether to lift the toll as planned from $2.95 to $4.28 on May 9.

RiverCity Motorway last week said early traffic volumes had been "below expectations", and traffic through the tunnel would be a key driver in the decision to keep the tolls low.

"Maximising the number of motorists who try the Clem7 will be a key driver in setting the toll levels beyond the current discount period," a spokesman for RiverCity Motorway said.

It comes after research released by RiverCity Motorway found one in three people who had not used the tunnel during the toll-free period simply did not get around to it, while motorists who have used the tunnel say they are likely to use it again.

When the cross-river tunnel first opened in mid-March, RiverCity Motorway group chief executive Flan Cleary outlined an introductory period for motorists, to follow the three-week period of free tolls.

But the first week of discounted tolls saw traffic volumes through the tunnel plummet from 59,000 daily users during the toll free period to just over 20,000 a day, casting doubt on whether the operator could afford to bring in the full toll.

After the poor traffic volumes from the introductory period were released, RiverCity Motorway shed more than a fifth of its share price.

The operators had predicted 60,000 cars a day would use the tunnel when the full toll was introduced.

A RiverCity Motorway spokesman said that it was still early days for the cross-river tunnel, and the number of Flow tag users has doubled to 22,000 accounts since the first day of opening.

"It is important to recognise that the opening of the Clem7 is a big change for Brisbane motorists, and it is still very early days," he said.

"Our aim is to encourage as many motorists as possible to experience the benefits of using the tunnel."

He said satisfaction was high among motorists who were currently paying the discounted toll, with most rating the tunnel 4.2 out of 5.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has said that if the tunnel failed to meet traffic projections it could make investors and governments more cautious about public-private partnerships.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Poor Clem7 patronage sees RiverCity Motorways extend discounted tolls until June 30

Poor Clem7 patronage sees RiverCity Motorways extend discounted tolls until June 30

    * Ursula Heger
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * May 04, 2010 9:13PM

THE Clem7 tunnel is falling short of its projected revenue target by more than $1 million a week.

Traffic data released on Tuesday by tunnel operators RiverCity Motorway reveals the discounted tolls are delivering just $62,000 a day with an average of only 21,178 vehicles using the tunnel.

It is a fraction of the $256,800 a day the 6.8km tunnel would have been earning under the full toll and traffic projections of 60,000 cars a day.

As flagged in The Courier-Mail, RiverCity Motorway confirmed it would extend the discounted toll period for another seven weeks to encourage more motorists to use the tunnel. But the free travel period between midnight and 5am will be scrapped on Sunday as planned.

RiverCity Motorway chief executive Flan Cleary said people who had used the tunnel would use it again.

"A recent survey of motorists who have used the Clem7 since tolls were introduced demonstrates that people using the tunnel are seeing the benefits. On average, these motorists rated the tunnel 4.2 out of 5," he said.

The consortium had forecast 60,000 cars a day would use the tunnel by June – a month after the full toll was introduced.

According to RiverCity, an average of 22,967 cars are using the tunnel on workdays, while 16,577 cars a day use it on weekends.

Wilson HTM analyst Nathan Lead said the tunnel operators could be in danger of defaulting on their loans if they did not reach 75,000 cars a day in 2012.

"It needs to be around that 75,000 to 85,000 (cars a day) just to pass that default test, two years out," he said.

Mr Lead estimated the company had about $150 million in cash reserves, which could be used to protect from poor revenue intake during the ramp-up period.

"It has a certain amount of cash reserves that can get it through a certain period of time, and after that period if it doesn't have that cash generation, then it is certainly going to struggle," he said.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said ratepayers were not exposed to risk if the project did not meet traffic forecasts, but said congestion on surface roads had been reduced.

"The commercial success of the tunnel is the problem of the consortium. Travel time savings is the other important factor and it is definitely playing a really positive part in doing that right now," he said.

[ozbob]

Not a good sign for Brisbane?

From the Sydney Morning Herald click here!

Lane Cove Tunnel sold for $630m

Lane Cove Tunnel sold for $630m
PAUL TATNELL
May 10, 2010 - 3:43PM

The Lane Cove Tunnel has been sold for $630.5 million  - less than half what it cost to build - just months after the former operator, Connector Motorways, was placed in receivership with crippling debts.

Transurban announced this morning it had bought the 3.6-kilometre tunnel, subject to RTA approval, for $630.5 million.

The company - which also operates a major tollway in Melbourne and Sydney's M2 motorway - said the deal includes the tunnel's assets and the 27-year toll concession.

The $1.6 billion tunnel opened in 2007 as a private-public partnership with the NSW government, but suffered from weaker than expected traffic numbers.

NSW Roads Minister David Campbell said the sale would not lead to increased tolls and would not  damage future private-public partnerships in the state.

Mr Campbell denied the fate of the troubled motorway, on top of failed projects such as the Cross City Tunnel, would damage the government's relationship with the private sector.

''Let's be clear, with none of these projects have the government legislated and demanded that a particular business invest,'' Mr Campbell told reporters in Sydney.

''With all of these projects, the best minds of the private sector put together their business model, and they make investment based on their business model, their research.

''They didn't make their investment decision based solely on information provided by the government.''The toll road, which links the M2 with the Gore Hill Freeway in northern Sydney, was predicted to carry 100,000 vehicles a day when the original contract was signed.

According to statistics provided by Transurban, more than 50,879 use the tunnel every day.

"Transurban is the natural owner of the Lane Cove Tunnel and we believe the asset fits extremely well within our portfolio of prime toll roads," Transurban chief executive officer Chris Lynch said.

"The capital raising we have announced today will support the Lane Cove Tunnel acquisition as well as providing funding certainty for Transurban's pipeline of growth projects, which includes important enhancements to the Sydney network in the Hills M2 and M5 upgrade."

Transurban said its distribution guidance of 12 cents for the second half of the current financial year would not change as a result of the acquisition and capital raising.

- with AAP

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

On the surface, the Clem7's doing OK

On the surface, the Clem7's doing OK
TONY MOORE
May 11, 2010 - 5:33AM

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has come to the defence of the Clem7 tunnel, revealing it has had a massive impact on improving traffic on surface roads.

Since it opened, the tunnel has been marred by lower-than-expected traffic volumes, which has resulted in a reduction of the discounted toll period.

But Brisbane City Council traffic figures obtained by brisbanetimes.com.au showed travel times have dropped by one-third on the Story Bridge, Wynnum and Lytton Roads and through Fortitude Valley since the tunnel was opened in March.

The figures showed that, last Thursday, there were 18,950 fewer vehicles on the Story Bridge than in March, before the tunnel opened.

Traffic on the bridge dropped 16.48 per cent, down from 115,000 to 96,050 vehicles a day.

Ipswich Road south of Stanley Street saw a 28.26 per cent reduction, with 11,305 fewer cars using the corridor every day.

Cr Newman said there had been faster travel times on roads near Clem7 since the tunnel opened and the discounted tolling period began.

"Our traffic data shows that vehicle movements on the Story Bridge have reduced by around 19,000 vehicles per day," Cr Newman said.

"And surface road users are also experiencing great time savings on their trips, with some routes recording almost 40 per cent less travel time."

One 8 minute above-ground trip along Lytton Road near Mowbray Park into Fortitude Valley over the Story Bridge was reduced by 32 per cent, from 2 minutes 35 seconds to 5 minutes 25 seconds.

The journey from Riding Road to Mowbray Park was reduced from 13 minutes 16 seconds, to 8 minutes 41 seconds, or a 34.5 per cent drop.

An 8 minute 38 seconds trip from Cavendish Road at Coorparoo to Wellington Road at East Brisbane, via Stanley Street, had dropped to 4 minutes and 51 seconds, a 35.3 per cent time saving.

The above-ground journey down Ipswich Road through Woolloongabba and into Ann Street, Fortitude Valley had dropped from 20 minutes 47 seconds to 17 minutes 49 seconds, a drop of 12.6 per cent.

And through Fortitude Valley - as Ann Street crawls through the bottom end of the Valley - travel times dropped from 4 minutes 37 seconds to 2 minutes 56 seconds, a drop of 36 per cent.

RACQ spokesman Gary Fites said the RACQ had noticed "modest" drops in travel times because of Clem7, but had not begun to log them.

"Certainly on the southside in the morning peak the improvements are noticeable enough, a few minutes here and there," he said.

"Routes like Ipswich Road, the Story Bridge, there is some improvement on the access from the southside to the northside."

The Clem7 tunnel attracted an average of 21,178 vehicles a day in April well below the 60,000 tunnel operator RiverCity Motorway predicted after one month.

But that figure jumped from 21,178 to 27,000 vehicles on May 7, which sources indicate was one of the first weeks not interrupted by long weekends and public holidays since Clem7 opened.

Cr Newman said last Friday's 27,000 figure for Clem7 was evidence more traffic was starting to use the tunnel.

"Last Friday an estimated 27,000 vehicles used the Clem7 and we are hopeful that this trend will continue because it benefits all road users, not just those who travel through the tunnel," he said.

Cr Newman said week five traffic volumes were 13.25 per cent higher than week one.

"And we are seeing an increase of 2.5 per cent per week," he said.

The statistics also showed that 18 per cent of traffic using Clem7 were light or heavy commercial vehicles.

However, it also showed traffic increasing on some roads on Brisbane's inner northside.

Traffic has increased 5.53 per cent on Kelvin Grove Road and by 9.03 per cent on Newmarket Road.

RiverCity Motorway would not release any traffic figures for the Clem7 tunnel.

[Jon Bryant]

Clearly Clem7 is starting to encourage increased traffic volumes as we knew it would.  slowly but happening. This is despite every strategic plan across the region stating that a key aim is to reduce traffic levels.  Why have them if the major transport projects are doing the exact opposite.

[Golliwog]

So this $3billion dollar road tunnel has given some benefit in time savings. But think of the benefits (both time and congestion busting) that this money could have had if it was spent elsewhere. I'm talking new buses or trains. Or almost half the predicted cost of the 2016 CRR tunnel.

[#Metro]

The figures showed that, last Thursday, there were 18,950, or 16.48 per cent, fewer vehicles on the Story Bridge than in March, before the tunnel opened.

What was once an eight-minute journey along Lytton Road near Mowbray Park into Fortitude Valley over the Story Bridge has been reduced to five minutes, 25 seconds.

The travel time from Riding Road to Mowbray Park dropped nearly five minutes, from 13:16 (13 minutes, 16 seconds), to 8:41.

A trip from Cavendish Road at Coorparoo to Wellington Road at East Brisbane, via Stanley Street, had fallen from 8:38 to 4:51.

And the journey down Ipswich Road through Woolloongabba and into Ann Street, Fortitude Valley had dropped from 20:47 to 17:49.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/in-defence-of-clem7-20100510-uokk.html

A quick hypothetical:
Clem 7 ($3 billion): 27 000 vehicles per day * 5 min time saving = 135 000 mins saved per day
Cleveland line connector: 16 000 pax/peak-day (ignore off peak) *15 min time saving = 240 000 mins saved per day

[somebody]

A better hypothetical than that would be the Airport line vs the Airport link.  If the Airport line had been given a proper service and not had a fare which acts as a significant deterant, you wouldn't need the Airport link, so for ~$200m you would have saved $3bn, most of which is private money, but I'd expect some to be public money.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Northern Link toll modelled on Clem7

Northern Link toll modelled on Clem7

    * Ursula Heger
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * May 13, 2010 10:44PM

BRISBANE City Council is planning a similar tolling regime for the 5km Northern Link to the Clem7, despite the $3 billion cross-river tunnel struggling to attract motorists.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman accepted final bids for the Northern Link project yesterday, which will connect the Centenary Motorway at Toowong and the Inner-City Bypass at Kelvin Grove, at a presentation in Brisbane city.

A decision on the winning bid is due in September, with construction expected to start by the end of the year.

Cr Newman said the Northern Link tunnel, which is estimated to cost about $1.8 billion, would take about 24,000 cars a day after the start-up period – reducing a 30-minute trip from Jindalee to just 10 minutes. He said tolls would be similar to the full toll set for the Clem7, $4.28 one-way.

"The proposed toll is around that of the Clem7 without the discount, but that will not be confirmed until we know what the bids are in these proposals today and we see the final business case from council," he said.

Last Friday the Clem7 recorded about 27,000 vehicle trips, increasing slightly on earlier figures.

Unlike the Clem7 project, if the Northern Link tunnel does not meet its traffic projections, Brisbane City Council will be financially liable.

But Cr Newman said traffic estimates for Northern Link were "very conservative", and he did not expect that rates would be pushed higher to cover any shortfalls from the tunnel's revenue.

"We don't believe it (Northern Link) is going to be a problem, it won't be an issue," he said.

Opposition leader Shayne Sutton said the Northern Link project had the potential to cripple council financially.

"Unlike the Clem7 where RiverCity Motorways bears all the risk, ratepayers are the ones who will pay if motorists don't use the Northern Link tunnel," she said.

"In my opinion, that's poor and reckless financial management."

The bidders are Northern Direct, a consortium of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Laing O'Rourke and Transfield Services; Transcity, a joint project between Acciona, Ghella and BMD; and LBRJV, made up of Leighton, Baulderstone and Razel.

[Golliwog]

So basically, we're going to get charged for it if we use it or not. What a brilliant idea! 

[mufreight]

Government be it State or Local has the responsibility to provide public infrastructre, so if it is to be a case that ratepayers will be footing the bill anyway then why have a toll?

[Golliwog]

Government be it State or Local has the responsibility to provide public infrastructre, so if it is to be a case that ratepayers will be footing the bill anyway then why have a toll?

Because its a whole lot easier to keep the tunnel clean and well maintained if theres no one using it? Just think, in a way, they're saving money!

[somebody]

Government be it State or Local has the responsibility to provide public infrastructre, so if it is to be a case that ratepayers will be footing the bill anyway then why have a toll?

Good question.  And especially if the council need to underwrite the tunnel anyway.

[Golliwog]

Because not everyone drives. If part of the plan was to include a Busway, or bus lanes on Milton Road, then it would be ok (IMO anyway) for the Gov. to pay for it. Given that they are trying to convince more people that public transport is the way to go, why should those that already do use PT have their money spent on a tunnel for those that don't, when it provides no direct benefit to them?

[Dean Quick]

Why is it that any ill concieved road tunnel is suggested/planned then constructed in a very short time with little or no opposition but the mere mention of a new rail line or rail tunnel takes years with many studies/reports followed by more feasability studies and reports only then, in some cases, to be postponed or shelved???