AU2019100872A4 - Disbursing Melbourne's Eastern Freeway traffic - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A road system that will eliminate the congestion and gridlock at the end of the Eastern Freeway and allow rapid movement of all vehicles along this route. It also provides adequate routes to the west and south west. This arrangement will suffice for the next 20 years at which time a double deck single tunnel will need to be constructed to provide the extra capacity capable of handling nine freeway lanes on the Eastern Freeway compared to the current five. i 'S'M~tJSMCD Amm Ii 0 ticc 4c Ic oumop~jt is puown.10 4 R U6A a PuownjC UDOA'0 Ci if4 ' * d) W) 0= EU isfo

Description

Background of the invention

Approaching Hoddle St.

[0001] The current three lanes under Hoddle St. should suffice for the current Freeway usage. However if our North East Eink is built extra lanes will be needed on the Freeway and an extra two under Hoddle St.

[0002] These extra lanes will require a complete realignment of the lanes at this location and the positioning needs to also allow for the lanes going into and out of a future tunnel which will be a single double deck tunnel down the middle of Alexandra Pde.

Alexandra Pde.

[0003] On reaching Alexandra Pde. the lanes will increase to eight going west and seven going east. In the middle will be a 4.0 metre wide median strip.

[0004] This arrangement will continue up to George St. where more vehicles will be coming in from Queens Pde. At this point the median strip will be dispensed with to form an extra lane and provide space for the column supporting the traffic lights and signage.

[0005] Princes St. from Nicholson St. to Canning St. will be widened to the same width as Alexandra Pde.

Lane destination markings and traffic lights [0006] Electronic lane destination and traffic lights for each lane will hang from a cable between poles on the footpath and on the median strip. This is the conventional form in the USA for multi lane roadways.

Neill St.

[0007] Neill St. was a former diagonal road but has been truncated at both ends so it is just a local road. It will be reopened to Princes St. allowing the Alexandra Pde. traffic to enter it and to continue to Drummond St. at the other end by removing the recreational facilities built between Rathdowne St. and Drummond St. in recent years for the Housing Commission flats.

[0008] Seven vehicle lanes will be constructed along this road.

2019100872 08 Aug 2019 [0009] During the morning peak five lanes will be used for access to the CBD and beyond and two in the opposite direction. During the evening peak a reverse combination will be used.

[0010] Vehicles crossing out of Neill St. into Princes St. will be metered so the length of the number of vehicles does not exceed the maximum number of such that vehicles have crossed out of Neill St. that will not become stationary and block traffic traveling west along Princes St.

[0011] The metering will be achieved by having sensors mounted under or on the road surface that determining the number of vehicles that may already be at Nicholson St. waiting for the lights to change and deducting this number from the number that makes up the maximum number and allowing this reduced number to cross into Princes St. This configuration is depicted in drawing number 1/2

Roads to the CBD [0012] Having vehicles traveling along Neill St. will allow them to enter Rathdowne St. without having to use the already congested Princes St and gives access to Drummond St and then across to Cardigan St.

[0013] Rathdowne St. will be reconfigured converting the parking lane and bike lane into an extra lane during peak hour providing three lanes in each direction. This will only require some small modifications mainly at intersections where the parking lane is discontinued and the footpath widened.

[0014] Along Drummond St. the median strip will need to be narrowed more in line with the one along Rathdowne St. and three lanes constructed each way to Grattan St. South of Grattan St. only two lanes each way will be required and this can be achieved with a slight reduction in the median strip.

[0015] Vehicles will reach Cardigan St. by doing right hand turns at both Rathdowne St. and Drummond St. into Elgin St. and also from Drummond St. into Faraday St. Extended right hand turn lanes will be constructed to accomplish this. There is currently one existing lane in

2019100872 08 Aug 2019 each direction along Cardigan St. allowing vehicles to reach Victoria St. and cross over into Franklin St. and travel up to Queens St. then into Latrobe St. or go across into Williams St.

[0016] At Grattan St. a like extended right hand turn lane will be constructed to provide access to the University and an alternate route to our Western Distributor via Arden St., Lloyd St., Dynon Rd., Sims St. to Footscray Rd. and then onto our Western Distributor.

[0017] Along these three roads the properties are roughly 50% commercial and 50% residential. All property owners will be paid fair compensation for any loss in value of their property plus an extra 15%.

Princes St./Cemetery Rd./College Cr.

[0018] Most of the traffic on Princes St. will be heading west, south west or north west up the Tullamarine Fwy. There is enough capacity along Princes St./Cemetery Rd./College Cres. for the expected traffic for the next few years. The anticipated fine tuning will further increase the carrying capacity of these roads.

Macarthur Rd. leading to Elliott Ave.

[0019] Across Royal Pde. the road becomes Macarthur Rd. leading to Elliott Ave. This section will need to be substantially rebuilt into a three lane in each direction roadway and the alignment of Macarthur Rd. will need to be altered to eliminate the sharp bend along Macarthur Rd. at The Avenue.

[0020] At Flemington Rd. there will be three right hand turn lanes and three lanes across Flemington Rd. into Racecourse Rd.

Rezoning [0021] The properties along Alexandra Pde. and Neill St. currently zoned residential should be rezoned commercial.

[0022] Along Alexandra Pde. six to eight story buildings should be allowed with underground parking and short term parking at the back of the buildings with access from a rear service road. Neill St. should be limited to three to four stories buildings. To bring about a speedy transition Government should compulsory acquire these residences and offer groups of titles to developers.

2019100872 08 Aug 2019 [0023] A condition of development should be that along Alexandra Pde. the new developments are set back three metres and two metres along Neill St. to provide wider footpaths and some plantings.

Pedestrian crossings across Alexandra Pde.

[0024] It is impractical for pedestrians to cross such a wide roadway so pedestrian underpasses will need to be built along this section. Such underpasses can be built economically by using 2.5 x 2.5 metre culvert section placed side by side. At each end will be a wheel chair lift for impaired pedestrians.

Increasing capacity of the route [0025] In about 20 years time a double deck single tunnel with three lanes each way will be built down the centre of Alexandra Pde. to handle the anticipated increase in traffic along the Eastern Freeway. This tunnel will connect with City Link and go across to the western suburbs.

Bike path [0026] It was originally proposed to have a bike lane running along the southern edge of Alexandra Pde. connecting up with the paths around the river. However it was deemed unviable as the bike path utilization could become substantial and there would then be major conflicts between vehicles having to cross a congested bike path to do left hand turns.

[0027] It is thus proposed that the bike path connecting to the river trails will go along Trenerry Cr. and Maugie St. then along the path leading to Hoddle St. widened to three metres. It will then initially cross Hoddle St. at the pedestrian crossings until the patronage increase to such an extent that an underpass across Hoddle St. is necessary. This can be constructed from 3.6 metre wide precast concrete units placed side by side to form the underpass. It can be built in a short period of time logically during the summer holidays.

[0028] On crossing Hoddle St. a three metre wide path will be constructed on the grass strip beside the Hoddle St. pavements as far south as Hotham St. Bicyclists will then go along

2019100872 08 Aug 2019

Hotham St. to Gold St. then to Mater St. The path will then go along Mater St. and Westgarth St. nearly to Nicholson St. then along a cobble stone lane way that will be resurfaced so it is smooth to Rose St. then across Nicholson St. into Kay St. that leads into Canning St.

[0029] The path will then go along Canning St. towards the city. It can cross over Carlton St. and run through the Carlton Gardens. Alternatively it can go along Barkly St. so it comes out into Rathdowne St. where it can go along a shared foot path beside the Gardens or a three metre path could be constructed just inside the Gardens taking the path up to Victoria St.

[0030] Bicyclists heading to the CBD from the north will be confined to Canning St. during peak hours.

Bus Lane [0031] The current usage of this lane is a few buses, taxis and VHA/C resulting in very poor utilization of this lane. To better utilize this lane P2 vehicles that is a vehicle carrying two or more people should be allowed to use this lane.

Claims (5)

1. The large central median strip is removed from Alexandra Pde. to provide space for seven or eight traffic lanes in each direction with a median strip about four metres wide that from George St. and further west is eliminated and an extra bidirectional lane is built in its place and pedestrian underpasses are installed across Alexandra Pde. along the length of Alexandra Pde. in lieu of conventional pedestrian crossings.

2. Princes St. is widened to the same width as Alexandra Pde. between Nicholson St. and Canning St. with this section of Princes St. having a similar lane configuration as along Alexandra Pde. at Nicholson St. and Neill St. is extended from Princes St. to Drummond St. that is extended to Neill St. with the traffic heading out of Neill St. into Princes St going east is metered so the number of vehicles does not exceed the maximum number of such vehicles have crossed out of Neill St. that will not become stationary and blocking traffic traveling west along Princes St. this being achieved by having sensors mounted under or on the road surface or by other means that determines the number of vehicles that may already be at Nicholson St. waiting for the lights to change and deducting this number from the number that makes up the maximum number and allowing this reduced number to cross into Princes St. This configuration is depicted in drawing number 1/2

3. Along the whole length of Alexandra Pde. and Neill St. on both sides the land is rezoned commercial or other zoning other than residential with allowable construction heights of six to eight stories along Alexandra Pde. and three to four stories along Neill St. with the buildings set back up to three metres from the boundary line along these streets

4. The road through Royal Park along Macarthur Rd. and Elliott Ave. is rebuilt with a three lane each way roadway with the alignment of Macarthur Rd. being altered to eliminate the sharp bend at The Avenue.

5. A bicycle route that connects to the river trails that ostensibly goes along Trenerry Cr. and Maugie St. then along the path leading to Hoddle St. crossing Hoddle St. at the pedestrian crossings until the patronage increases to such an extent that an underpass across Hoddle St. is necessary on crossing Hoddle St. a path will be constructed on the grass strip beside the Hoddle St. pavement as far south as Hotham St. then along Hotham St. and Gold St. then along Mater St. and Westgarth St. nearly to Nicholson St. then along a laneway to Rose St. then across Nicholson St. into Kay St. that leads into Canning St. This route is depicted in drawing 2/2