Comments on: We’re building a better Pacific Highway, but we’re doing it on the cheap

By: Geoff Roberts

Geoff Roberts — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:43:24 +0000

After millions of $$$ spent on the upgrading of the F3 from Wahroonga to Cowan (Congrats finally to RTA – thanks NRMA), why is the left lane still the fastest ? When will people figure out the “Keep Left Unless Overtaking” signs mean exactly that ? I would challenge these “fast-laners” to adopt the same habits in Europe as they do on the F3 – a Porsche might collect them at 250kph on a German Autobahn !! Sadly, I am probably more likely to get booked for overtaking in the left lane than they are for travelling at 90kph in the “fast lane”!
Next step – let’s make the bridge at Pymble Railway Station 3 lanes going south ?

By: Greg Essex

Greg Essex — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:56:40 +0000

It’s easy to build them like they do in the rest of the Western World. Either charge $4 per litre for petrol (as they should), or raise taxes (effectively subsidising road tansport). You can’t have it boths ways!

By: allen horstmanshof

allen horstmanshof — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:08:40 +0000

As long as the focus of our traffic engineers remains on speed and not safe driving conditions and practices they will continue to take short cuts and introduce unsafe road designs. Time is long overdue that our authorities come to realise that speed is only one component of safety on our roads, road design and sound driving practices are far more important. It is really time for a total rethink. In order for this to happen it will be necessary to introduce a new culture of thought in the near moribund RTA organisation from the one that rules and has ruled for the past several decades. An opportunity to introduce new ideas was lost when the last CEO left earlier this year and was replaced from internal sources. But then what can we expect from a state government that also has been in power too long and has cleaLY run out of ideas… and cash. Still that is another issue!

By: Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 04:50:21 +0000

The reason why the freeway is costing more but we are getting a lessor standard of road is because more than 30% of the cost is going to protect every ant and bee found along the route. I am most disapointed at the loss of the wide vegetated median strip now disappearing on naerly all future sections because of the impact on ‘native vegetation and wildlife’. Why is it that as a community we now place a higher price on saving a few possums than on saving human lives. The aerial wires installed at Karuah for possums to cross cost over $100,000! Just think, if it wasn’t for NSW Government environmental controls aimed at protecting every tree in the State, there would be over 100 kilometres more of the freeway completed by now.

By: Ian Nebauer

Ian Nebauer — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 02:27:28 +0000

Without a doubt we need the dual carriageway from Brisbane to Sydney and yes I agree it is being done slowly. What concerns me is the total disregard for public transport on this route. Other developed countries have superior roads but those countries and lesser developed countries have rail systems within cities and between cities that make ours look less than third world. A very fast train system and an upgraded frieght system will have 2 outcomes – less cars on this road and less trucks.
Good grief we might even assist the environment!

By: David McDougall

David McDougall — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:26:43 +0000

It really makes me angry to see the lack of funding for this road over many years which has to be one of the busiest and most dangerous in Aust. Especially during holidays when tourists drive the same way at 110km plus as they do in the city at 60km by tailgating etc. $3 billion a year in NSW GST revenue is being diverted to other states for policital gain by the Howard goverment. The Federal Government raises 80% of all tax revenue and yet funding to the States has been declining for years. By all means get trucks off the road with better rail, but also a safer wider road would help people avoid the idiots.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:11:33 +0000

I don’t have a problem with the slow pace they are upgrading the highway, as long they don’t slap us with another toll to pay for the roads we have already financed with our registration fees and 3 x 3 Fuel tax. We have the highest fees and yet some of the worst roads. Our governments answer is to privatise. No thanks.

By: David George

David George — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:11:29 +0000

All tardiness/ineptness from governments in road building and aside, we do have a very large country for our small population and its a relatively big impost on our economy to be able to afford the funds for road construction. I was only just reading some piece of trivia about Australia having the most train track per capita and I’m sure its close to that with roads.

By: Roger Clugston

Roger Clugston — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:00:06 +0000

Yes, they are cheapening the Pac Hwy upgrade to get kilometres on the board. Look at the newer sections completed, many of which have pathetic barriers instead of true carriage way separation. A B-double requires at least its length between carriageways to avoid collision when it jacknifes. Imagine the mayhem triples will cause! We must never allow triples on our roads under any circumstances. Be prepared for a bitter battle with the trucking industry.

By: Stewart Gordon

Stewart Gordon — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:32:51 +0000

You would think that when the Germans were making highways the right way back in 1930s that we could have learned from them. If you want to see a road that is designed for accidents come to Brisbane and go for a drive on the gateway Arterial North from the river . There is probably not one straight stretch until it joins the main road North at Bald Hills. Every day it gets blocked with accidents and the traffic gets worse every day.
WE need to get a few Roman road builders onto the job. Its not even as if they had to dodge houses as its out in the swamp land past the Airport.
I think the builders got paid by the number of bends.