Page 1968 - Week 05 - Thursday, 3 May 2012
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until early April 2012 and provided to the Assembly as requested. Travel time information during the morning peak period has also been surveyed and collated on William Hovell Drive between Drake Brockman Drive and where traffic enters Parkes Way over a number days between 28 March and 10 April 2012.
When I spoke in the Assembly on this matter in March, I indicated that the current capacity of Parkes Way continues to impact on traffic flows on William Hovell Drive which itself, as can be seen from the data, carries a significant traffic volume, particularly east of Bindubi Street. I am pleased to advise the Assembly that the construction contract to widen Parkes Way is being finalised and will commence in May 2012. The completion date is September 2013.
Having improved the capacity of Parkes Way, the next bottleneck is the exit from Parkes Way to Commonwealth Avenue. As those who travel this part of the road network know only too well, this can be a very slow at times. Improvements to this exit lane from Parkes Way to Commonwealth Avenue are included as part of the Parkes Way construction contract to be let shortly. This work will be completed by the end of 2012 to avoid any clash in the city precinct with centenary celebrations next year. Members who are familiar with the area will know of the delays that can be experienced by the current arrangements with London Circuit and Commonwealth Avenue and these works will provide some relief to these delays.
Members will also be aware that the speed limit on a section of William Hovell Drive from Coppins Crossing Road to Bindubi Street has recently been reduced as part of a federal government black spot road safety improvement. There have been 11 casualty crashes on this section of the road over the last five years and it was identified as a black spot in September 2011. The recent changes in speed limit will assist in improving road safety on this section of the road in a cost-effective way, as well as having a safer speed limit for a section of the road that includes two sets of traffic lights.
The need for further upgrades to William Hovell Drive will be monitored by TAMS road engineers. Feasibility work will be undertaken to establish the engineering requirements and project costs, together with the benefits that support the investment of public funds. Given the current planning and development in the Molonglo Valley and the need to connect roads in the new district with the existing road network, TAMS has listed the need to undertake feasibility work over the period 2013-14.
In relation to the analysis of data from daily vehicle counts of William Hovell Drive, traffic volumes passing through the intersection of William Hovell Drive and Bindubi Street have been collated over a seven-day period from the end of March until early April this year. The analysis confirms that William Hovell Drive is a very busy road with little spare capacity during the morning peak period, carrying on average more than 43,000 vehicles during a typical weekday east of Bindubi Street and 30,000 vehicles a day west of Bindubi Street.
Travel time information during the morning peak period has also been surveyed and collated on William Hovell Drive between Drake Brockman Drive and where traffic enters Parkes Way over a number of days between 28 March and 10 April this year.
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