The woes of Rozelle Interchange was covered on 7.30 on ABC TV tonight.
Video
Article
2 Likes
Disappointing to see $50m funding previously committed by the federal government has been cut to upgrade the Calder Freeway between the Western Ring Road (they really should just do it from the start off the Tulla Fwy) and Gap Road, Sunbury. One of the state’s most dangerous, dilapidated, neglected and oldest major arteries. Several kilometres within Melbourne’s urban limits are still not freeway standard: at-grade, only two lanes, lack emergency lanes/wide shoulders, poor safety measures, little traffic monitoring technologies, dangerous merging/weaving and high accident zones and multiple fatalities over a short time frame, despite a few at-grade on-ramp merge having been permanently shut down. It also topped or came in Top 5 in a recent RACV feedback/poll and not for the first time:
I wonder if funding was cut and possible re-directed to another project due to the corridor not being a ‘national highway/route’ of interstate/national significance?
1 Like
I was also disappointed that federal funding had been cut for Calder Freeway between Gap Road and Western Ring Road. It is the major route linking Bendigo, Sunbury and Melbourne, and is overdue for an urgent upgrade, especially with the construction of Calder Park Drive overpass that will see the level crossing with the Sunbury train line removed.
Between Calder Park and Western Ring Road there are three at-grade intersections: Thompsons Road (the entrance to Organ Pipes National Park), Calder Park Drive and Sunshine Avenue. The upgrade will have seen these intersections rebuilt as interchanges with overpasses and ramps.
If the upgrade goes ahead in the future, I would love to see new ramps between Calder Freeway (Bendigo bound) and Western Ring Road (Altona bound), so that people can travel between the two freeways without having to go through Keilor Park Drive which has traffic lights.
This is a bit difficult as this section of Calder Freeway is sandwiched between Fullarton Road and Keilor Road. Any upgrade (such as extra lanes) will require acquisition of properties at either side of the freeway and realignment of local roads.
1 Like
I think at the time it was foolish cost-cutting, as well as a convenient arterial link already existing nearby (KPD at you refer).
Not the first either, Hallam Bypass section of the Monash Freeway that opened 20 years ago didn’t do a ramp from what was re-named the South Gippsland Freeway (previously the sweeping ending of the Monash or South Eastern Arterial) inbound to the Hallam Byp outbound, instead drivers need to exit at the Princes Hwy and detour via Belgrave Hallam Rd or another on-ramp further down Narre Warren.
Another is the big junction with EastLink and the Monash Freeway, there’s no ramps to-from the Monash inbound to EastLink southbound and EastLink northbound to Monash outbound. Drivers need to use arterials such as the Dandenong Bypass or Princes Hwy, Heatherton Rd and Stud Rd to enter the Monash (or Jacksons Rd onto Police Rd earlier).
I reckon the ramp from South Gippsland Freeway to Hallam Bypass is linked to the future extension of Dandenong Bypass. Currently Dandenong Bypass terminates at the intersection with South Gippsland Highway, with 2km long section to South Gippsland Freeway shown as a dashed line on Melway street directory.
1 Like
Becomes too difficult with the Keilor Cemetery and the short distance between the M80/Calder and Keilor Park Drive/Calder interchanges.
1 Like
Just a reminder for those living in Sydney, that tomorrow (Monday) and on Tuesdays, school zones are still in operation. Despite all kids starting their holidays last week (with some even starting earlier). Schools will be open for Staff Development Day.
So teachers don’t know how to cross the road properly? 
1 Like
There are sometimes children still on the grounds if they have parents that work in essential services so the speed limits are kept just in case.
Major freeways (actually they’re the same corridor) again shut-down, following serious incidents.
Overnight a teenage minor crashed and caused a rollover on the Monash Fwy near Narre Warren North Rd, causing the road to close in both carriageways, the other vehicle was full of people including a baby, the perpetrator is under Police guard in hospital:
https://twitter.com/VicTraffic/status/1736283534057517543?s=19
–
And this afternoon, a 9-vehicle pile-up and rollover outbound on the Princes Fwy East (Pakenham Bypass) near Officer South Rd. The travel time apparently blowing out to 2 hours just from the Jacksons Rd interchange:
https://twitter.com/VicTraffic/status/1736638286590841132?s=19
https://twitter.com/VicTraffic/status/1736648710912901149?s=19
https://twitter.com/VicTraffic/status/1736644413269623031?s=19
Vacation Care services are running until tomorrow, meaning children are around schools still.
The Western Freeway was closed from around midnight overnight until lunch time today, Nine News did a good report, it’s thought the male killed may have been struck by a truck, the driver possibly not even realising. There are two witnesses so far, a female who had a near-miss with the crashed deceased driver stumbling around on the road and notified Police and today a South Australian truckie who was interviewed by SA Police who had dashcam of the deceased walking around and alerted nearby Paramedics. A tragedy the incident couldn’t have been avoided, especially with others apparently passing by. Vic Pol MCIU say damage may also be very minor.
https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1737010220000219376?s=19
apologies for the double post - just to separate it clearer from the previous
A good comment and point from a road user to a VicRoads social media alert on a stockstandard incident on an arterial earlier today:
https://twitter.com/jsr_820/status/1737990512681058764?s=19
It refers to a section of the Tulla Freeway around Essendon Fields (in-between the Western Ring Road junction and Calder Fwy merge), where there is a series of short-distanced on-ramps and off-ramps, as well as sharp turns and busy traffic movements, creating dangerous merging and weaving conditions.
Depsite the entire M2 corridor being upgraded to modern standard around 7 years ago, including widened (6 lanes in a single carriageway in parts) and current fully automated ‘smart motorway’ standard.
Has anyone driven this and experienced, or offer further opinions/thoughts? You could very well be from interstate, given it’s the major artery from Melbourne International Airport to the CBD. Or have other similar examples elsewhere?
You can also view this section easily via Google Maps Street View (with updated images very recent):
https://twitter.com/VicTraffic/status/1737989939663376740?s=19
2 Likes
I’ve driven it a few times, very easy to end up in the wrong lane if you’re not familiar and accidents can easily happen if you try and over-correct (by suddenly cutting across lanes).
When I’ve made a mistake I always just keep going the wrong way and let the GPS circle me back to where I meant to go.
The other example I can think of that can be a bit dicey is the Hume Freeway interchange with the Ring Road, the exit for Edgars Road and the entry ramp for the Ring Road eastbound from the Hume overlap and can result in a bit of weaving.
1 Like
1 Like
I have seen that sign circulating on social media. I thought it was a joke at first, until further reading into some of the comments.
It’s always good to do some research prior to going on trips, and not just trusting yourself with the GPS.
3 Likes
Agree, I knew not to trust my GPS when it tried to send me from Horsham to Albury via Melbourne (thus adding an extra 100 km and 1 hour to my trip).
1 Like
I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I wish Google would have options for simplest route not ‘fastest’ - I would rather spend another few minutes than do a right turn out of a small side street across four lanes of traffic.
I often will tap the less complex or more familiar route before starting navigation but then the phone will leap into “we’ve found you a faster route” mode and have to go through a few minutes of it trying to reroute me onto that route, even if I keep following the original one, because I didn’t tap my phone screen while driving to stop it doing that.
6 Likes