Edmonton to the city is now 3-4 lanes all the way with 2 different ways in. It flows much better.
Edmonton to Gordonvale is about to receive a similar upgrade. It’s roadworks galore in Cairns that’s for sure.
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The definition of M routes have been expanded to include major rural roads which are fully divided, not just freeways.
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Not necessarily - the definition is that M Roads are high quality roads, two lanes in either direction and split carriageways
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Most of that road is clearly freeway grade - calling the small sections passing through towns A1 instead would just confuse navigation for no real benefit.
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I got out of Sydney just in time before everything went to shit. Only hit the early accident on the M1/F3/whatever it’s called. Can’t believe the NorthConnex tunnel doesn’t have exhaust fans.
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Some states are slightly different though. Queensland is a lot stricter - if it’s an M road it’s a motorway with no at grade intersections. Dual carriageways drop to an A road if there are at grade intersections, even though the definition allows them ro still be M roads. Eg. A2 Warego Highway between Ipswich and Toowoomba. NSW and VIC seem a little more flexible.
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I’ll be interested to see what it’s like coming back into Sydney this afternoon.
It’s usually worse than getting out of Sydney at the start of the long weekend I think.
I’m sort of breaking my trip into two- there is a Jets game this afternoon. I’ll drive down for that. Then keep going after the game down the freeway. The traffic might be better after about 8pm.
I’d love to see a second freeway between Sydney and at least the northern end of the Central Coast (if not to Newcastle), but I don’t think I’ll see it in my lifetime.
Because its simply not necessary - building another freeway is a solution to a non-existent problem
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Try telling that to the thousands who constantly get caught in traffic on the M1- nearly every day there’s an accident / hold up of some sort, and it’s only going to get worse as population increases.
Autonomous cars and trucks will help in the future (hopefully), but it will take a long time before there’s enough of them on the road to make any real difference.
If not another freeway, then a VFT rail system between Sydney and Newcastle would be a good alternative.
Thats a poor reason to build a completely new road - especially given difficulty that would be in building such a road. Increasing the capacity doesn’t correlate with an improvement in travel times or traffic volumes, in fact evidence suggests that it has a negative impact.
There is a need for improvements made to the M1, there’s no doubt about that (a lot of the surface is in poor condition and there are some sub-standard sections) - but more importantly, driver behaviour needs to change, many of the accidents you see on that road arent because the road is poor, they’re because too many on the road drive like dickheads.
Investment is better directed into improving the public transport (mainly train) between the Lower Hunter and Sydney - whether thats through a VFT or by making improvements that would permit greater frequency and to try and bring the difference between travel times on rail compared to via road closer. VFT appears to be a pipe dream in this country though.
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I’m holding out for Star Trek style transporters. Scone to Sydney in less than 5 minutes, yes please. 
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The electric scooters in Canberra are becoming more annoying. People abandon them on the footpath or in a park just about everywhere in the city, Braddon, Parkes, Kingston and Manuka. They ride them on the footpath and on the road getting in the way, often without a helmet and sometimes with a passenger. And it is not surprising that dozens of riders have been treated at Canberra hospitals for various injuries. I think the ACT government and the National Capital Authority made a mistake when they approved the electric scooters, and they should be removed.
An abandoned scooter in the city near the ANU.
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Don’t people have to pay extra if they don’t leave them in a designated spot?
Perhaps that charge needs to be higher.
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And make it compulsory to wear a helmet while riding the scooter.
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Same as Brisbane. They dump them anywhere, obstructing bikeways and footpaths.
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Is the North Connex tunnel the one that is about 9km long,somewhere north of Sydney?When my sister and parents traveled from Brisbane to Canberra by road last November they had to go through there. They went via the Pacific Highway from northern NSW.
I remember seeing a lot of them around Canberra in Downer where myself and my family stayed last November.
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Yes, the NorthConnex tunnel does run though Sydney’s northern suburbs, connecting the M1 with the M2, allowing motorists to not face a single traffic light when travelling from Newcastle to Canberra, Melbourne, Geelong or Ballarat.
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