97-535: Member of the Legislative Assembly for Mulgrave (2002–2023) Premier of Victoria Ministries Elections Royal Commissions [REDACTED] The Suburban Rail Loop ( SRL ) is an automated rapid transit system under construction in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia . The system is divided into four distinct sections. The two main sections, SRL East and SRL North, would eventually together form
194-649: A dual highway ) in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn . It then rapidly constructed the first nationwide system of such roads. The first North American freeways (known as parkways) opened in the New York City area in the 1920s. Britain, heavily influenced by the railways, did not build its first motorway , the Preston By-pass ( M6 ), until 1958. Most technologically advanced nations feature an extensive network of freeways or motorways to provide high-capacity urban travel, or high-speed rural travel, or both. Many have
291-466: A median separates the opposite directions of traffic. This strip may be as simple as a grassy area, or may include a crash barrier such as a " Jersey barrier " or an "Ontario Tall Wall" to prevent head-on collisions . On some freeways, the two carriageways are built on different alignments; this may be done to make use of available corridors in a mountainous area or to provide narrower corridors through dense urban areas . Control of access relates to
388-599: A "super-hub" for the Seymour and North East regional lines. The 2021 SRL business case proposed opening SRL North in two stages, the first running from Box Hill to Reservoir and the second between Reservoir and Melbourne Airport. The under-construction Melbourne Airport rail link between the airport and Sunshine station will form the SRL Airport section of the loop, with one intermediate station at Keilor East . Trains will not continue onto Werribee, however, but will run into
485-472: A 34 km (21 mi) underground extension of SRL East from Box Hill to Melbourne Airport , via La Trobe University . Construction is not expected to commence until the 2030s, with completion by 2053. This section may be split into two projects due to its length and cost. The third section, SRL Airport, will be formed by the separate Melbourne Airport Rail project. This 15 km (9.3 mi) section will run from Melbourne Airport via Sunshine into
582-694: A cloverleaf and trumpet interchange when it opened in 1937, and until the Second World War , boasted the longest illuminated stretch of roadway built. A decade later, the first section of Highway 401 was opened, based on earlier designs. It has since gone on to become the busiest highway in the world. The word freeway was first used in February 1930 by Edward M. Bassett . Bassett argued that roads should be classified into three basic types: highways, parkways , and freeways. In Bassett's zoning and property law -based system, abutting property owners have
679-620: A freeway, specialized pedestrian footbridges or tunnels may also be provided. These structures enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the freeway at that point without a detour to the nearest road crossing. Access to freeways is typically provided only at grade-separated interchanges , though lower-standard right-in/right-out (left-in/left-out in countries that drive on the left) access can be used for direct connections to side roads. In many cases, sophisticated interchanges allow for smooth, uninterrupted transitions between intersecting freeways and busy arterial roads . However, sometimes it
776-434: A larger number of guide signs than other roads, and the signs themselves are physically larger. Guide signs are often mounted on overpasses or overhead gantries so that drivers can see where each lane goes. Exit numbers are commonly derived from the exit's distance in miles or kilometers from the start of the freeway. In some areas, there are public rest areas or service areas on freeways, as well as emergency phones on
873-499: A legal status which limits the types of vehicles that can use a highway, as well as a road design that limits the points at which they can access it. Major arterial roads will often have partial access control , meaning that side roads will intersect the main road at grade, instead of using interchanges, but driveways may not connect directly to the main road, and drivers must use intersecting roads to access adjacent land. At arterial junctions with relatively quiet side roads, traffic
970-476: A marginal Labor seat, replacing Dandenong North . Labor's Daniel Andrews easily won the seat amid that year's massive Labor landslide , and held it until his resignation in 2023. He was elected as leader of Victorian Labor following its shock defeat in 2010 , and served as Premier from 2014 to 2023. This Victoria (Australia) government-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Freeway A controlled-access highway
1067-601: A middle suburb long proposed for the terminus of a new rail line ; Heidelberg station on the Hurstbridge line ; Reservoir station on the Mernda line ; Bundoora , home to the main campus of La Trobe University ; Broadmeadows station on the Craigieburn line ; and the airport itself. This section of the SRL would also be constructed entirely underground, and Broadmeadows would function as
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#17328448052951164-518: A milepost system but does not use milepost markers. In Europe and some other countries, motorways typically have similar characteristics such as: Two-lane freeways , often undivided, are sometimes built when traffic volumes are low or right-of-way is limited; they may be designed for easy conversion to one side of a four-lane freeway. (For example, most of the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in eastern Kentucky
1261-447: A motorway is understood as a public road with dual carriageways and at least two lanes each way. All entrances and exits are signposted and all interchanges are grade separated. Central barrier or median present throughout the road. No crossing is permitted, while stopping is permitted only in an emergency. Restricted access to motor vehicles, prohibited to pedestrians, animals, pedal cycles, mopeds, agricultural vehicles. The minimum speed
1358-772: A national-level or even international-level (e.g. European E route ) system of route numbering . There are several international standards that give some definitions of words such as motorways, but there is no formal definition of the English language words such as freeway , motorway , and expressway , or of the equivalent words in other languages such as autoroute , Autobahn , autostrada , autocesta, autoput , that are accepted worldwide—in most cases these words are defined by local statute or design standards or regional international treaties. Descriptions that are widely used include: One green or blue symbol (like [REDACTED] ) appears at motorway entry in countries that follow
1455-589: A number of patterns. The actual pattern is determined by a number of factors including local topology, traffic density, land cost, building costs, type of road, etc. In some jurisdictions feeder/distributor lanes are common, especially for cloverleaf interchanges ; in others, such as the United Kingdom, where the roundabout interchange is common, feeder/distributor lanes are seldom seen. Motorways in Europe typically differ between exits and junctions. An exit leads out of
1552-594: A park and where intersecting streets crossed over bridges. The Southern State Parkway opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened 1936). In Germany, construction of the Bonn-Cologne Autobahn began in 1929 and was opened in 1932 by Konrad Adenauer , then
1649-457: A private venture, was the world's first limited-access roadway. It included many modern features, including banked turns , guard rails and reinforced concrete tarmac . Traffic could turn left between the parkway and connectors, crossing oncoming traffic, so it was not a controlled-access highway (or "freeway" as later defined by the federal government's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices ). Modern controlled-access highways originated in
1746-589: A re-elected Labor government would undertake "the biggest public transport building program in Australian history", in a speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia . The comments were interpreted as a hint that as-yet-unannounced projects would be revealed closer to the election, although Andrews provided no detail in his speech. On 27 August, Andrews revealed plans for the Suburban Rail Loop for
1843-609: A reduction in deaths in a range from 20% to 50% on those sections. Speed, in Europe, is considered to be one of the main contributory factors to collisions. Some countries, such as France and Switzerland, have achieved a death reduction by a better monitoring of speed. Tools used for monitoring speed might be an increase in traffic density; improved speed enforcement and stricter regulation leading to driver license withdrawal; safety cameras; penalty point; and higher fines. Some other countries use automatic time-over-distance cameras (also known as section controls ) to manage speed. Fatigue
1940-538: A separate roadway or altogether eliminates it. In some parts of the world, notably parts of the US , frontage roads form an integral part of the freeway system. These parallel surface roads provide a transition between high-speed "through" traffic and local traffic. Frequent slip-ramps provide access between the freeway and the frontage road, which in turn provides direct access to local roads and businesses. Except on some two-lane freeways (and very rarely on wider freeways),
2037-524: A similar orbital freeway through the eastern suburbs, opened in 2008, but was less successful, failing to reduce traffic meaningfully on parallel arterials such as Springvale Road . Detailed plans for the North East Link , connecting the Ring Road and EastLink to complete the orbital route, were released in 2018, with construction expected to start in 2020 for an anticipated completion date of 2027. Despite
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#17328448052952134-510: A similar system of express and local lanes for a maximum width of 21 lanes on a 2-mile (3.2 km) segment between Interstate 805 and California State Route 56 . In Mississauga , Ontario, Highway 401 uses collector-express lanes for a total of 18 lanes through its intersection with Highway 403 / Highway 410 and Highway 427 . These wide freeways may use separate collector and express lanes to separate through traffic from local traffic, or special high-occupancy vehicle lanes , either as
2231-465: A single 60 km (37 mi) fully automated orbital metro line through the city's middle suburbs, with 13 stations between Cheltenham and Melbourne Airport connecting to eight existing Melbourne rail lines . The first section, SRL East , is a 26 km (16 mi) underground link from Cheltenham to Box Hill via Monash University . Construction commenced in 2022 and is expected to open in 2035. The second section, SRL North , will be
2328-411: A special restriction on the innermost lane or a separate roadway, to encourage carpooling . These HOV lanes , or roadways open to all traffic, can be reversible lanes , providing more capacity in the direction of heavy traffic, and reversing direction before traffic switches. Sometimes a collector/distributor road , a shorter version of a local lane, shifts weaving between closely spaced interchanges to
2425-453: Is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway , motorway , and expressway . Other similar terms include throughway or thruway and parkway . Some of these may be limited-access highways , although this term can also refer to a class of highways with somewhat less isolation from other traffic. In countries following
2522-728: Is controlled mainly by two-way stop signs which do not impose significant interruptions on traffic using the main highway. Roundabouts are often used at busier intersections in Europe because they help minimize interruptions in flow, while traffic signals that create greater interference with traffic are still preferred in North America. There may be occasional interchanges with other major arterial roads. Examples include US 23 between SR 15 's eastern terminus and Delaware, Ohio , along with SR 15 between its eastern terminus and I-75 , US 30 , SR 29 / US 33 , and US 35 in western and central Ohio. This type of road
2619-467: Is four to five carriages long, allowing shorter platforms. The Premier announced an intention to use private investment to help fund the line, but did not indicate whether the line would be driverless . In 2020, the government committed a further $ 2.2 billion for initial and early works on the loop, with expressions of interest opened for contractors to deliver these works. Jacinta Allan , who in her role as Minister for Transport Infrastructure had overseen
2716-639: Is necessary to exit onto a surface road to transfer from one freeway to another. One example in the United States (notorious for the resulting congestion) is the connection from Interstate 70 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike ( Interstate 70 and Interstate 76 ) through the town of Breezewood, Pennsylvania . Speed limits are generally higher on freeways and are occasionally nonexistent (as on much of Germany's Autobahn network). Because higher speeds reduce decision time, freeways are usually equipped with
2813-450: Is not lower than 50 km/h [31 mph] and the maximum speed is not higher than 130 km/h [81 mph] (except Germany where no speed limit is defined). Motorways are designed to carry heavy traffic at high speed with the lowest possible number of accidents. They are also designed to collect long-distance traffic from other roads, so that conflicts between long-distance traffic and local traffic are avoided. According to
2910-431: Is provided with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic). Principal arterials may cross through urban areas, serving suburban movements. The traffic is characterized by high speeds and full or partial access control (interchanges or junctions controlled by traffic lights). Other roads leading to a principal arterial are connected to it through side collector roads. In this view, CARE's definition stands that
3007-483: Is situated in the south-east of the Melbourne Metropolitan Region. The electorate contains the suburbs of Mulgrave and Noble Park North . It also contains parts of the suburbs of Dandenong North , Noble Park , Springvale and Wheelers Hill . The seat previously existed from 1958 to 1967 as a safe Liberal seat. It was abolished in 1967 and replaced by Syndal . Mulgrave was recreated in 2002 as
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3104-407: Is sometimes called an expressway . Freeways are usually limited to motor vehicles of a minimum power or weight; signs may prohibit cyclists , pedestrians and equestrians and impose a minimum speed. It is possible for non-motorized traffic to use facilities within the same right-of-way, such as sidewalks constructed along freeway-standard bridges and multi-use paths next to freeways such as
3201-480: Is specially sign-posted as a motorway and is reserved for specific categories of road motor vehicles." Urban motorways are also included in this definition. However, the respective national definitions and the type of roads covered may present slight differences in different EU countries. The first version of modern controlled-access highways evolved during the first half of the 20th century. The Long Island Motor Parkway on Long Island , New York , opened in 1908 as
3298-477: Is the most transformative project for any capital city in Australia". Shorten later called the project the " Holy Grail " of public transport projects. Then opposition treasury spokesman Michael O'Brien said that the SRL was a "plan for the next election rather than a plan for the next generation", and called on the government to send its plans to Infrastructure Victoria for independent costings and analysis. Despite
3395-545: Is the result of several changes, including infrastructure safety and road user behavior (speed or seat belt use), while other matters such as vehicle safety and mobility patterns have an impact that has not been quantified. Motorways are the safest roads by design. While accounting for more than one quarter of all kilometres driven, they contributed only 8% of the total number of European road deaths in 2006. Germany's Federal Highway Research Institute provided International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) statistics for
3492-408: Is two lanes, but work has begun to make all of it four-lane.) These are often called Super two roads. Several such roads are infamous for a high rate of lethal crashes; an outcome because they were designed for short sight distances (sufficient for freeways without oncoming traffic, but insufficient for the years in service as two-lane road with oncoming traffic). An example of such a "Highway to Hell"
3589-418: Is ultimately about more than just vision. It’s about having the inventiveness, discipline and fiscal capacity to make that vision reality", and suggested that the true test for the SRL would be the government's ability to complete it. Herald Sun political editor Matt Johnston was less supportive of what he called a "highly political" project, arguing that the comparisons to other major global cities ignored
3686-611: The Dartford Crossing (the furthest downstream public crossing of the River Thames ) or where it was not economic to build a motorway alongside the existing road such as the former Cumberland Gap . The A1 is a good example of piece-wise upgrading to motorway standard—as of January 2013, the 639-kilometre-long (397 mi) route had five stretches of motorway (designated as A1(M)), reducing to four stretches in March 2018 with completion of
3783-566: The Melbourne CBD via the Metro Tunnel . Interchange would be required at Melbourne Airport station and Sunshine station to connect with other sections of the SRL. This section would be mostly constructed along the existing railway corridor at surface level, commencing construction at the same time as the SRL East section in 2022. It was originally planned to open in 2029-2030, however, that date
3880-837: The Suncoast Trail along the Suncoast Parkway in Florida . In some US jurisdictions, especially where freeways replace existing roads, non-motorized access on freeways is permitted. Different states of the United States have different laws. Cycling on freeways in Arizona may be prohibited only where there is an alternative route judged equal or better for cycling. Wyoming , the second least densely populated state, allows cycling on all freeways. Oregon allows bicycles except on specific urban freeways in Portland and Medford . In countries such as
3977-531: The United Kingdom new motorways require an Act of Parliament to ensure restricted right of way. Since upgrading an existing road (the "King's Highway") to a full motorway will result in extinguishing the right of access of certain groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving traffic, many controlled access roads are not full motorways. In some cases motorways are linked by short stretches of road where alternative rights of way are not practicable such as
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4074-424: The United Kingdom , do not distinguish between the two, but others make a distinction; for example, Germany uses the words Kreuz ("cross") or Dreieck ("triangle") for the former and Ausfahrt ("exit") for the latter. In all cases one road crosses the other via a bridge or a tunnel, as opposed to an at-grade crossing . The inter-connecting roads, or slip-roads , which link the two roads, can follow any one of
4171-463: The Vienna convention , the motorway qualification implies that walking and parking are forbidden. A fully controlled-access highway provides an unhindered flow of traffic, with no traffic signals , intersections or property access . They are free of any at-grade crossings with other roads, railways, or pedestrian paths, which are instead carried by overpasses and underpasses . Entrances and exits to
4268-488: The central business district via the Metro Tunnel . Despite significant delays, early construction commenced in 2023 and is expected to open in 2033. The fourth and final section, SRL West, has not been defined in detail but would connect the city's outer western suburbs and may be formed by electrifying the existing Deer Park–West Werribee railway line from Sunshine and extending it to Werribee station . No timeframe for construction has been released. Melbourne will be
4365-490: The shoulder at regular intervals. In the United States, mileposts usually start at the southern or westernmost point on the freeway (either its terminus or the state line). California , Ohio and Nevada use postmile systems in which the markers indicate mileage through the state's individual counties. However, Nevada and Ohio also use the standard milepost system concurrently with their respective postmile systems. California numbers its exits off its freeways according to
4462-451: The 1969 Plan were a number of orbital freeways, some of which were constructed over the following decades. The M80 Ring Road through the outer western and northern suburbs was constructed in stages between 1989 and 1999, and, by the time of its completion, was claimed by its advocates to have been partly responsible for a massive economic boom in the western suburbs, centred on its points of intersection with existing radial routes. EastLink ,
4559-497: The A1(M) through North Yorkshire . The most frequent way freeways are laid out is by building them from the ground up after obstructions such as forestry or buildings are cleared away. Sometimes they deplete farmland, but other methods have been developed for economic, social and even environmental reasons. Full freeways are sometimes made by converting at-grade expressways or by replacing at-grade intersections with overpasses; however, in
4656-451: The Airport opening by 2043. This scenario had capital costs of $ 27.1 to $ 45.1 billion, total costs of $ 35.1 to $ 57.6 billion and benefits of $ 54.7 to $ 65.8 billion. The timing and cost would be further refined through the tender and planning process. This gave the project a cost-benefit ratio range between 1.0 and 1.7. The government stated that it expected $ 30 to $ 34.5 billion would be spent on
4753-465: The CBD. Furthermore, a program of freeway construction in the wake of the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan reinforced the structure of the suburbs and introduced car dependence to new regions of development not served by the legacy rail network. As a consequence, Melbourne, unlike many cities of comparable size, did not develop any major centres of employment or dense population in its outlying regions over
4850-453: The Coalition opposing the SRL, the plan was embraced by influential former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett , who called for bipartisan support for the project immediately after it was announced, despite expressing doubts about the accuracy of the $ 50 billion costing. At the 2018 state election , the traditionally Liberal-held seats of Mount Waverley , Burwood and Box Hill – all falling along
4947-601: The SRL since its inception, was given the additional role of Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop . The Business and Investment Case of SRL was released in August 2021, primarily focusing on SRL East and North. SRL East will commence building in 2022 and is expected to finish by 2035. The rail line will be fully underground between Cheltenham and the Airport, while SRL West is subject to further investigation, planning and development. The business case modelled two staging scenarios. The first scenario has SRL North opening in two sections,
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#17328448052955044-454: The SRL was carried out in secret prior to its announcement, and, when the plans were released, it received significant attention. The SRL plan has been praised for its long-term vision and ambition, as well as being an innovative solution to the difficulties faced by Melbourne's transport network , but is criticised for its political motives, transparency of business case, prioritisation ahead of other transport projects, and large cost. Although
5141-498: The Suburban Rail Loop if the Coalition was elected, arguing that the project was a waste of money. The SRL became a major and contentious issue during the campaign, with Guy pledging to reallocate the saved money to health infrastructure. Described by some commentators as a politically risky move in Melbourne's eastern suburbs that would be connected by the line, Guy committed to honour the $ 2.2 billion early works contract but reappropriate
5238-409: The US, any at-grade intersection that ends a freeway often remains an at-grade intersection. Often, when there is a two-lane undivided freeway or expressway, it is converted by constructing a parallel twin corridor, and leaving a median between the two travel directions. The median-side travel lane of the old two-way corridor becomes a passing lane. Other techniques involve building a new carriageway on
5335-476: The United States, allow for limited exceptions: some movable bridges , for instance the Interstate Bridge on Interstate 5 between Oregon and Washington , do require drivers to stop for ship traffic. The crossing of freeways by other routes is typically achieved with grade separation either in the form of underpasses or overpasses . In addition to sidewalks (pavements) attached to roads that cross
5432-576: The Victorian government signed the first $ 3.6 billion contract with the Suburban Connect consortium in December 2023 to build the tunnels, the state Liberal/National opposition remains opposed to the system. Opposition Leader John Pesutto has pledged to pause and review the SRL East project if the Coalition wins government in 2026 . Previously, under the leadership of Matthew Guy in 2018 and 2022 ,
5529-693: The Vienna Convention. Exits are marked with another symbol: [REDACTED] . The definitions of "motorway" from the OECD and PIARC are almost identical. In the European Union , for statistical and safety purposes, some distinction might be made between motorway and expressway . For instance a principal arterial might be considered as: Roads serving long distance and mainly interurban movements. Includes motorways (urban or rural) and expressways (road which does not serve properties bordering on it and which
5626-583: The airport link would form part of the SRL West, with construction beginning in 2022. In mid-October, Labor federal Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten announced support for the SRL, including a commitment for $ 300 million in initial federal funding should the Labor Party be elected. The state government also indicated that it would be prepared to add additional stops to the loop to those included in
5723-516: The at-grade and elevated Melbourne Airport rail link and funded separately. The first stage will connect Melbourne's eastern and south-eastern suburbs, including twin 26 km (16 mi) underground tunnels from Cheltenham to Box Hill via Monash University . Construction commenced in 2022 and is expected to open in 2035. Passengers will be able to interchange with the existing metropolitan rail network at Cheltenham, Clayton, Glen Waverley and Box Hill. Construction on SRL East began in mid 2022 and
5820-783: The bridge. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge / Dartford tunnel at London Orbital is an example of this. London Orbital or the M25 is a motorway surrounding London , but at the last River Thames crossing before its mouth, motorway rules do not apply. (At this crossing the London Orbital is labeled A282 instead.) A few of the more common types of junction are shown below: There are many differences between countries in their geography, economy, traffic growth, highway system size, degree of urbanization and motorization, etc.; all of which need to be taken into consideration when comparisons are made. According to some EU papers, safety progress on motorways
5917-486: The buses were operated at a relatively high frequency and along direct routes, in contrast to the existing network of infrequent and circuitous routes. As a result, the SmartBus routes became the most heavily used in Melbourne, and were widely praised as a model for recasting the future public transport network. In August 2018, three months prior to the 2018 Victorian state election , then Premier Daniel Andrews promised that
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#17328448052956014-492: The common European definition, a motorway is defined as "a road, specially designed and built for motor traffic, which does not serve properties bordering on it, and which: (a) is provided, except at special points or temporarily, with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other, either by a dividing strip not intended for traffic, or exceptionally by other means; (b) does not cross at level with any road, railway or tramway track, or footpath; (c)
6111-566: The course of the 20th century. A number of orbital lines were constructed at the peak of railway development, but most failed to attract the necessary traffic of passengers and goods to remain sustainable into the late 20th century. The Outer Circle , which ran from Oakleigh on the Dandenong line to Fairfield on the Hurstbridge line via the Glen Waverley and Lilydale lines, was constructed between 1888 and 1891 but closed by 1897, though it
6208-607: The days following the proposal, the government revealed that its plan had been under consideration within Development Victoria , a planning agency under the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning for 12 months. Controversially, neither Infrastructure Victoria nor Transport for Victoria , both established by the Andrews government, had been involved in the SRL's planning stages; furthermore, neither agency had identified
6305-517: The early 1920s in response to the rapidly increasing use of the automobile , the demand for faster movement between cities and as a consequence of improvements in paving processes, techniques and materials. These original high-speed roads were referred to as " dual highways " and have been modernized and are still in use today. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. The Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"),
6402-439: The fact that "Australia is fairly remote, has a relatively small population and has higher labour costs". However, Johnston also noted that "the route of the suburban rail loop... would go near to, or through, Liberal-held state seats such as Mount Waverley and Burwood [and] near to, or through, federal Liberal seats such as Chisholm and Deakin". Electoral district of Mulgrave (Victoria) The electoral district of Mulgrave
6499-482: The first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore , and now parts of the A8 and A9 motorways, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924. This motorway, called autostrada , contained only one lane in each direction and no interchanges. The Bronx River Parkway was the first road in North America to utilize a median strip to separate the opposing lanes, to be constructed through
6596-438: The first from Box Hill to Reservoir opening in 2043 and the second between Reservoir and the Airport opening in 2053. This scenario has estimated capital costs of $ 24.1 to $ 40.2 billion and total costs of $ 30.7 to $ 50.5 billion, with estimated benefits of $ 48.5 to $ 58.7 billion. The second scenario is faster but higher cost and has the section from Box Hill to Reservoir opening by 2038 and the full SRL North corridor from Box Hill to
6693-619: The first geotechnical investigations began in July in Box Hill. The state government announced the formation of a Suburban Rail Loop Authority in September, at the same time as confirming station precincts for SRL East. In November 2019, the government announced that the loop would be an operationally independent, standalone line using different rail technology from the existing suburban rail network . The system would use new, smaller metro rollingstock that
6790-412: The first half of the 20th century. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. Italy opened its first autostrada in 1924, A8 , connecting Milan to Varese . Germany began to build its first controlled-access autobahn without speed limits (30 kilometres [19 mi] on what is now A555 , then referred to as
6887-884: The first services are scheduled to start in 2035. In August 2023, a preferred bidder was announced for the first package of 16 km (9.9 mi) of SRL East tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley. The Suburban Connect consortium consisted of the Australian construction firm CPB Contractors , Italian civil engineering company Ghella and the Spanish construction company Acciona . The SRL will ultimately consist of four sections. SRL East and SRL North will form one continuous metro line stretching 60 km (37 mi) from Cheltenham to Melbourne Airport. The two western sections, SRL Airport and SRL West, are separate lines formed by distinct projects that would require an interchange to access. The SRL Strategic Assessment produced by Development Victoria in 2018 identified four distinct sections of
6984-419: The first time: a 90 km (56 mi) orbital line for Melbourne's rail network, connecting 11 of the city's existing rail lines and serving new regions of the middle and outer suburbs at an estimated cost of $ 50 billion. The government committed $ 300 million to complete a business case and feasibility study should it be re-elected, noting that the project would take several terms of government to complete. In
7081-504: The highway are provided at interchanges by slip roads (ramps), which allow for speed changes between the highway and arterials and collector roads . On the controlled-access highway, opposing directions of travel are generally separated by a median strip or central reservation containing a traffic barrier or grass. Elimination of conflicts with other directions of traffic dramatically improves safety, while increasing traffic capacity and speed. Controlled-access highways evolved during
7178-518: The investment in orbital road transport from 1990, little changed in the structure of the public transport network. No new suburban railway lines were built after 1930, and trams were increasingly delayed by traffic congestion on key routes. From 2002, the SmartBus program introduced three orbital bus routes in an attempt to meet the city's burgeoning need for outer suburban public transport. In addition to serving new corridors previously without mass transit,
7275-522: The locations in the project's possible alignment being within safe electorates for the Victorian Labor Party . Following the plan's original announcement, then federal Liberal Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge said that the Suburban Rail Loop's "big vision is great" but said the federal government would withhold its support until further details and costings of the plan were provided. Then federal Labor leader Bill Shorten said that he "liked
7372-460: The mayor of Cologne . The German Autobahn became the first nationwide highway system. In Canada , the first precursor with semi-controlled access was The Middle Road between Hamilton and Toronto , which featured a median divider between opposing traffic flow, as well as the nation's first cloverleaf interchange . This highway developed into the Queen Elizabeth Way , which featured
7469-400: The motorway system, whilst a junction is a crossing between motorways or a split/merge of two motorways. The motorway rules end at exits, but not at junctions. However, on some bridges, motorways, without changing appearance, temporarily end between the two exits closest to the bridge (or tunnel), and continue as dual carriageways . This is in order to give slower vehicles a possibility to use
7566-491: The need for a similar project in their long-term plans for the transport network. Andrews defended the decision to develop the SRL independently of infrastructure authorities, arguing that while Infrastructure Victoria "have lots of good ideas, they don't have every good idea". The tender process for the Melbourne Airport rail link project was launched in mid-September, and the state government confirmed that it anticipated
7663-431: The opposition had pledged to abandon the project. The Melbourne transport network was substantially developed in the late 19th century, when the newly available technology of the railway enabled population growth away from the city centre. The result was the development of a largely radial network, which, over the following century, reinforced a model of urban development focused on heavy daily commuter flows into and out of
7760-471: The original announcement, particularly in the western suburbs. Days later, a leaked document from Transport for Victoria showed that the SRL had not been included in the transport authority's long-term plan for the rail network. $ 300 million was allocated to planning works for the SRL in the 2019 state budget. Rail Projects Victoria announced registrations of interest for potential contractors were open in June, and
7857-439: The other. Other methods involve constructing a service drive that shortens the long driveways (typically by less than 100 metres (330 ft)). An interchange or a junction is a highway layout that permits traffic from one controlled-access highway to access another and vice versa, whereas an access point is a highway layout where traffic from a distributor or local road can join a controlled-access highway. Some countries, such as
7954-470: The path of the SRL proposal – were claimed by the Labor Party after large swings, leading to speculation among Labor MPs and electoral commentators that the SRL announcement had contributed significantly to the government being returned with an increased majority. The phenomenon was also replicated in a number of safe Labor seats which would benefit from the line. In the lead-up to the 2022 state election , then Opposition Leader Matthew Guy promised to shelve
8051-408: The principle" of the SRL, but would not immediately commit to supporting it with federal funding. He announced federal Labor's official support in mid-October 2018, committing $ 300 million in business case funding and saying the project responded to an "old map of Melbourne... [that] simply doesn't work any more". His infrastructure spokesman, Anthony Albanese , said that "this project here in Melbourne
8148-423: The project over the 14 years to the opening of the first stage in 2035, with significant works on SRL North taking place as part of that expenditure. An Environmental Effects Statement (EES) process for SRL East was initiated in late 2021 that provided more detail on the station locations, the precinct designs, the local effects of the project and the design of the train system. Community and stakeholder consultation
8245-477: The rate is higher than the risk on urban roads. Speeds are higher on rural roads and autobahns than urban roads, increasing the severity potential of a crash. According to ETSC, German motorways without a speed limit, but with a 130 km/h (81 mph) speed recommendation, are 25% more deadly than motorways with a speed limit. Germany also introduced some 130 km/h (81 mph) speed limits on various motorway sections that were not limited. This generated
8342-470: The remaining $ 9.6 billion allocated to the SRL by the government. During the campaign, there was significant debate in the media over the project's cost and value for money. After the Labor government won a third term at the election with an increased majority, then Premier Daniel Andrews said the result was the second clear endorsement of the project by Victorian voters. As of 2024, the project remains opposed by
8439-643: The rights of light , air and access to highways, but not parkways and freeways; the latter two are distinguished in that the purpose of a parkway is recreation, while the purpose of a freeway is movement. Thus, as originally conceived, a freeway is simply a strip of public land devoted to movement to which abutting property owners do not have rights of light, air or access. Freeways, by definition, have no at-grade intersections with other roads, railroads or multi-use trails . Therefore, no traffic signals are needed and through traffic on freeways does not normally need to stop at traffic signals. Some countries, such as
8536-582: The role of SRL West could be undertaken by electrifying the Deer Park – West Werribee line to Wyndham Vale station as an extension of the radial suburban network, and extending the Werribee line to meet it at Wyndham Vale. Later documents released by the government confirmed that Wyndham Vale would become an interchange station. Currently, SRL West has no estimated construction and completion date, with doubts on whether it would ever be constructed as well as many of
8633-420: The route, some of which are formed by other projects or existing rail corridors. The overall corridor selected was originally identified as a "middle" corridor, and was assessed against other routes closer to and further from the CBD before being prioritised for further investigation. SRL North between Box Hill station and Melbourne Airport would be constructed after SRL East, and include stops at Doncaster ,
8730-417: The second Australian city (after Sydney ) to build a fully-fledged rapid transit system . Several orbital rail schemes have been proposed and some constructed throughout Melbourne's history, but the rail network has remained largely radial. The Victorian Labor state government led by then Premier Daniel Andrews announced the SRL as policy in the lead up to the 2018 state election . Initial planning for
8827-432: The side of a divided highway that has a lot of private access on one side and sometimes has long driveways on the other side since an easement for widening comes into place, especially in rural areas. When a third carriageway is added, sometimes it can shift a directional carriageway by 20–60 metres (50–200 ft) (or maybe more depending on land availability) as a way to retain private access on one side that favors over
8924-488: The state Liberal/National opposition. Opposition Leader John Pesutto has pledged to pause and review the project if the Coalition wins government in 2026 , citing concerns about large state debt, cost uncertainty, and the lack of funding available for other transport projects. The Age , in its editorial the day following the announcement, wrote that "there are so many reasons to endorse this proposal that it’s easy to get carried away", but observed that "good government
9021-406: The year 2010, comparing overall fatality rates with motorway rates (regardless of traffic intensity): The German autobahn network illustrates the safety trade-offs of controlled access highways. The injury crash rate is very low on autobahns, while 22 people died per 1,000 injury crashes—although autobahns have a lower rate than the 29 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents on conventional rural roads,
9118-443: Was European route E4 from Gävle to Axmartavlan , Sweden. The high rate of crashes with severe personal injuries on that (and similar) roads did not cease until a median crash barrier was installed, transforming the fatal crashes into non-fatal crashes. Otherwise, freeways typically have at least two lanes in each direction; some busy ones can have as many as 16 or more lanes in total. In San Diego, California , Interstate 5 has
9215-856: Was launched as part of this process. In October 2021, the Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan introduced legislation to the Victorian Parliament to establish the Suburban Rail Loop Authority as a statutory government body and grant it a number of transport and planning powers. SRL East and North will take more than 25 years to construct and together are estimated by the project's business case to cost between $ 30.7 and $ 57.6 billion depending on project staging, of which capital costs would be between $ 24.1 and $ 45.1 billion. SRL East and North will be built entirely underground along new rail alignments, while SRL Airport will be formed by
9312-491: Was partly reopened as the Alamein branch line . The Inner Circle linking the modern-day Upfield and Mernda lines, was opened in 1888 but closed to passengers in 1941. The Albion-Jacana line and Newport-Sunshine line in the city's west, though performing a similar purpose, were never intended to carry passenger traffic. In the late 20th century, interest grew in enabling orbital journeys between Melbourne suburbs. Included in
9409-558: Was pushed back to 2033 following a dispute over whether to construct the airport station above ground or underground. Apart from the termini at Sunshine and Werribee , the Strategic Assessment did not identify specific routes, intermediate stations or connections to other lines for SRL West, and suggested it would be the final section constructed. The Western Rail Plan published by Transport for Victoria in October 2018 suggested that
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