26 January 2007
Northern Freeway
I've finally finished my article about Brisbane's never-built and highly-controversial Northern Freeway. It was to be the grandest radial freeway on the system, but it was later cut back in length and size, and then it was finally given the axe with just one overpass completed.
The Northern Freeway (PDF, ~900 kB)
Feel free to leave any comments or questions...
Trent.
posted by Trent @ 13:12 3 comments
25 September 2006
Riverside Expressway
Overview
The Riverside Expressway is a 3 km elevated highway that connects the south eastern suburbs and Gold Coast to the Brisbane CBD. It derives its name from the fact that it was built on the banks of the Brisbane River. The expressway runs from the Pacific Motorway (South East Freeway) at Woolloongabba to Coronation Drive, Milton, via the western side of the CBD. One prominent feature of the expressway is the Captain Cook Bridge, which provides southside residents direct access to the CBD at Gardens Point.
History
Plans for an expressway along the riverfront were made in 1961. In that year, the Brisbane City Council submitted a proposal to the State Government for the construction of three radial expressways (Southeastern, Southwestern and Northern) in the metropolitan area, converging on a ring road in the City centre. The ring road was to be built entirely on the northern bank of the Brisbane River, with only one expressway-grade river crossing being provided on the Southeastern Expressway near Gardens Point. American consultancy firm Wilbur Smith and Associates (WSA) tested the proposal using a computer and found it to be undesirable, mainly because traffic levels on the bridge were predicted to exceed 240,000 vehicles per day by 1981 (which would require 20 lanes of freeway).
To overcome this problem, in their 1965 Brisbane Transportation Study (BTS), WSA recommended the construction of a more comprehensive freeway system with more River crossings. Under the plan, 6 radial freeways were to converge on a much larger ring road called the Central Freeway. The Central Freeway was to cross the River twice (at South Brisbane and New Farm), with two other orbital freeways crossing the River approximately 10 km from the CBD at Kenmore in the west (Centenary Bridge) and Queensport in the east (Gateway Bridge).
Access to the CBD was to be provided by four expressways, of which one was the Riverside Expressway. This expressway was to be a four lane, partially grade separated highway with interchanges at the Central Freeway as well as Alice, Margaret, Elizabeth, Ann, Turbot and Makerston Streets. Of particular note, the Elizabeth and Turbot Street interchanges were to be signalised at-grade intersections; however, it was later decided to replace them with free-flowing right-hand exits and merges.
Below is a map (click to enlarge) of the Riverside Expwy as proposed in the BTS (not recommended viewing for small displays -- high resolution image).
The Captain Cook Bridge, then known as the Point Bridge, was proposed as a four lane bridge with 5.5 percent approach grades. The design speed was 80 km/h, with traffic lanes being 3.7 metres wide and shoulders 2 metres wide. This specification was later revised to six 3.7 metre-wide lanes with no shoulders and nearly-flat approach grades.
Photos -- click to enlarge
Captain Cook Bridge under construction in 1970 (Picture Queensland). See first picture in article for present-day view.
Left: Crossing the Captain Cook Bridge in the 1970s (ourbrisbane.com). Right: Same view in January 2006.
Construction images (Queensland Roads Journal).
Captain Cook Bridge and Brisbane CBD from South Brisbane, circa 2002 (ourbrisbane.com).
Captain Cook Bridge as seen from the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, May 2006.
Driving northbound on the Riverside Expressway, January 2006.
General views of the roadway, from above and below. March-May 2006. The last picture is from ourbrisbane.com.
Staging
The project was divided into six sections, A through G.
- Sections A and B included the Stanley/Vulture Street interchange and connections to the South East Freeway in Woolloongabba. These sections opened progressively between February and August 1973, to coincide with the opening of the South East Freeway.
- Section C was the Captain Cook Bridge and it opened to traffic in February 1973.
- Section D was the viaduct between the Captain Cook Bridge and Alice Street, opening in February 1973.
- Sections E, F and G comprised the remainder of the expressway between Alice Street and Coronation Drive. The northbound Margaret Street offramp opened in February 1973, with the section between there and Ann Street opening in 1974. The Turbot Street exit and the rest of the expressway opened in July 1976.
The following map (click to enlarge) shows a map of the planned facility and the section letters.
The 1974 Floods
Following a very wet summer and cyclonic activity near Fraser Island, the Brisbane River flooded on 27 January 1974. The flood waters peaked at more than 6 metres, inundating many riverside communities and much of the CBD. The Riverside Expressway, still under construction at the time, survived the flood, as it was designed to withstand flood waters of up to 8 metres. Most of the northbound Margaret Street offramp was submerged, while the remainder of the structure remained above the water level.
Flood photos (Picture Queensland and Queensland Roads Journal) -- click to enlarge.
Things Get Cosy
In 1983, the Main Roads Department commissioned a consultant to conduct an investigation into the operation of the Riverside Expressway and South East Freeway. The consultants recommended the introduction of a new traffic management system (including ramp meters) on the South East Freeway and the re-striping of the carriageways in order to provide additional traffic lanes. The Captain Cook Bridge was re-striped to 8 lanes while the rest of the Riverside Expressway was re-striped to 6 lanes with no shoulders. Traffic lanes on the expressway are now approximately 3.1 metres wide as a result.
30 Years Later
Just over 30 years has elapsed since the final stage of the Riverside Expressway opened to traffic in 1976. In this time, traffic levels have nearly trebled to approximately 140,000 vehicles per day. It is now one of the busiest roads in the state, with the Captain Cook Bridge being one of the nation's busiest bridges. This is the case mainly because of the freeway plan's cancellation in the mid-1980s and higher-than-expected population growth.
In early 2006, the Department of Main Roads announced its intention to replace the expressway's surface over a three night period. Wet weather caused the postponement of these works until 21 September, when for the first time in 30 years, the entire expressway was closed for resurfacing over the weekend. At the time of writing, approximately half of the works are complete, with the aim being to complete the remainder between 29 September and 2 October 2006.
Main Roads Web Cam Images:
Sunday, 24 September 2006. You can see the dark new asphalt on the northbound (right) carriageway.
Under traffic on Monday, 25 September 2006. The rest of the road will be resurfaced this weekend coming.
The Future
It's no secret that many, including State MPs and City Councillors, hate the Riverside Expressway. Many consider it to be an eyesore that should never have been built, with some even going as far to say that it should be demolished and replaced with a tunnel. An alternative to the tunnel option is the construction of a 'North Bank' that mirrors South Bank (on the opposite side of the river). This long-term project was proposed in the early 2000s.
Renderings -- click to enlarge.
The aim of the North Bank project is to link the western side of the CBD with the River by developing the area over and in front of the structure, and by reclaiming some of the river for development purposes. The plan divides the riverfront into a number of themed segments, with each segment having a different function (e.g. entertainment, parklands, a marina etc.
The government is currently considering the expressions of interest that were received in early 2006. So stay tuned to find out what happens.
---
References
Blinco, R. (1988). Monitoring of Operations on the South East Freeway. Queensland Roads, 23(3), 26-30.
Brisbane City Council (2006). Ourbrisbane.com: Images of Brisbane. Retreived 25 September 2006, from http://www.ourbrisbane.com/living/brisbanelife/photos/.
F.A.P. (1972). Construction Progress on the Riverside Expressway. Queensland Roads, 11(22), 60-66.
F.A.P. (1974). Riverside Expressway William Jolly Bridge to Alice Street. Queensland Roads, 13(26), 45-48.
F.A.P. (1976). Opening of the Riverside Expressway. Queensland Roads, 15(30), 54-56.
Main Roads, Department of (2006). Traffic Reports - 13 19 40 - Live Web Cameras. Retrieved 24 September 2006, from http://www.131940.qld.gov.au/131940_met/WebCams.shtml.
Queensland Government (2005). North Bank Strategic Plan. Retrieved 25 September 2006, from http://www.northbankbrisbane.com.au/nbpsp.html.
State Library of Queensland (2006). Picture Queensland. Retrieved 24 September 2006, from http://www.pictureqld.slq.qld.gov.au/.
Wilbur Smith and Associates (1965). Brisbane Transportation Study. Wilbur Smith and Associates, New Haven, CT, USA.
posted by Trent @ 15:31 1 comments
