This is a good article. Click here for more information.

Majura Parkway

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Majura Parkway
Australian Capital Territory
General information
Type Parkway  (Under construction)
Length 11.5 km (7 mi)[1]
Built by Fulton Hogan
Maintained by Territory and Municipal Services
History Construction began in 2013 and is expected to be completed by June 2016.
Major junctions
South end <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
North end <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Highway system
Highways in Australia
National Highway • Freeways in Australia
Road infrastructure in Canberra

The Majura Parkway is an 11.5-kilometre-long (7.1 mi) north–south parkway under construction in the Majura district of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It links at its northern end to the Federal Highway and Horse Park Drive at the edge of the Gungahlin district, and at its southern end to the Monaro Highway in Pialligo.

The parkway has been in planning since the 1970s and is considered as being an important access road to and from the Gungahlin district. It largely replaces Majura Road, which lacks the capacity to cope with future increases in traffic. Majura Road will be largely retained to provide access to various facilities in the area. The parkway will provide a more efficient transport link in the area and convey large numbers of freight vehicles. The project has been jointly funded by both the ACT and Australian Governments, at a total cost of A$288 million. Major construction works commenced in February 2013 and are expected to be completed by June 2016.

Route description

External video
Project flyover animations
video icon Majura Parkway Northbound on YouTube
video icon Majura Parkway Southbound on YouTube
video icon Majura Parkway Bridgework on YouTube
External image
Area map
image icon Majura Valley area on Google Maps.

The Majura Parkway will traverse the length of the largely rural Majura Valley within the ACT, providing a parkway standard link between the northern terminus of the Monaro Highway in territory's east and the Federal Highway at the north close to the New South Wales border. The parkway largely replaces Majura Road, which is now the main route through the valley and carries approximately 18,000 vehicles each day. This road is single carriageway, and rural in design and quality; the need for the replacement with a more efficient, higher capacity roadway has been highlighted in several studies.[2][3] Majura Road will remain largely intact to serve local traffic to various facilities located in the Majura Valley, multiple rural properties and Canberra Airport's business precinct.[1] Other benefits of the Majura Parkway include more efficient freight transportation, relieving traffic congestion, supporting future growth of Canberra Airport, and easier movement between Canberra's northern and southern suburbs.[4][5]

The roadway will start as a continuation from the northern end of the Monaro Highway. It will then cross the Molonglo River, and Morshead Drive as part of a singular bridge structure, just to the west of the current Morshead Drive / Pialligo Avenue intersection. The next section of the parkway entirely replaces the northern arm of Morshead Drive with a raised section of roadway, before crossing over Fairbairn Road at the location of the current Morshead Drive / Fairbairn Road intersection.[6][7]

From this point the roadway enters farmland, and grasslands; the parkway itself aligned just to the west of Woolshed Creek. Towards the northern end of the valley, the parkway bisects the Majura Pine Plantation. North of the plantation the parkway way will gain a service road along its western side, allowing southbound access via an overpass to businesses in that area. This service road continues a short distance to the north until it meets the access road to the Mount Majura air navigation facility, which is located atop the nearby Mount Majura.[6][7]

The remainder of the roadway from the plantation to the north follows the existing Majura Road alignment, with the addition of a second carriageway constructed to the east. It curves towards the west and joins onto the existing interchange with the Federal Highway. The roadway itself then continues on through the interchange into the Gungahlin district as Horse Park Drive.[6][7]

The parkway will be dual carriageway for the entirety of its length. Each traffic lane will be 3.5-metre (11 ft) wide, with a 2.5-metre (8.2 ft) wide outside shoulder, and a 1-metre (3.3 ft) wide median shoulder. The speed limit is to be 100 km/h (60 mph). By 2030, the Majura Parkway is expected to carry approximately 40,000 vehicles each day, with 6,000 of those being freight vehicles.[1][8] The stated cost is A$288 million, and is jointly funded by the ACT Government and the Australian Government, both committing $144 million to the project.[9]

Artist's Impression of parts of Majura Parkway and Majura Road traversing Majura Valley. This image only shows approximate alignment, and does not include intersections or interchanges. Neither the northern or southern ends of the parkway are visible in this image.
Artist's Impression of parts of Majura Parkway and Majura Road traversing Majura Valley. This image only shows approximate alignment, and does not include intersections or interchanges. Neither the northern or southern ends of the parkway are visible in this image.

History

File:Molonglo River bridge under construction in October 2014 2.jpg
The Molonglo River bridge under construction in October 2014

The planning of Majura Parkway began with the Tomorrow's Canberra (1970) National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) report which identified the Majura Valley corridor as a component of Canberra's peripheral road system. Further NCDC and National Capital Authority (NCA) studies including Metropolitan Canberra (1984) and the Canberra Spatial Plan (2004) identified the need for a primary road link in the area. This was also backed up by the Gungahlin External Travel Study Information Report (1989) identifying four main access roads needed for residents of the Gungahlin district.[2]

From the SMEC Concept Evaluation Report (2006), Roads ACT identified two preferred alignments, which were known as the western and the eastern alignments. The eastern alignment was later scrapped because of environmental, heritage, and social issues along that corridor, leaving the western alignment as the only preferred alignment. The scrapped eastern alignment would have also included a link to a future urban area in the Kowen District. Resumption of land for the parkway mostly involved farmland, although part of the Majura Pine Plantation was acquired for the new road alignment. The Royal Military College, Duntroon has also lost some parts of its playing fields, though the historic Oval No.1 is preserved.[2][6]

Some concerns were raised about the parkway occupying land now used for offroad recreational cycling in the Majura Pine Plantation; however by the later stages of the planning process, two large culverts had been planned in this area which would ease access between both sides of the plantation for recreational cyclists and other users.[10] Concerns were also raised by the Geological Society of Australia in regards to the construction works affecting a fossil site on Woolshed Creek in the vicinity of the Fairbairn Avenue southbound offramp. The Geological Society of Australia later accepted assurances from the ACT Government that the site would be protected.[11][12]

Preparatory roadworks on nearby roads began in 2008, with the main project beginning in September 2012 when Fulton Hogan was awarded the contract to build. Major construction then began in January 2013.[13][14]

The parkway is expected to be completed by approximately mid-2016.[1] Construction of the parkway will create around 350 jobs.[15]

Majura Parkway construction works, as of mid-April 2013.
Majura Parkway construction works, as of mid-April 2013.

Intersections and interchanges

The completed Majura Parkway will have multiple intersections and interchanges along its length providing access to facilities in the Majura Valley, and several arterial roads.[16][17][18]

District[17] Location[17] km[1] mi Destinations[17][18] Notes[18]
Majura, Canberra Central Pialligo, Campbell, Fyshwick 0 0 Monaro Highway south – Cooma

Morshead Drive west – City, Campbell

Pialligo Road east – Queanbeyan, Canberra Airport		 Half diamond interchange, including bridge over Molonglo River, no northbound onramp, no southbound offramp;
Parkway terminus: continues south as Monaro Highway
Pialligo, Campbell Fairbairn Avenue east/west – Queanbeyan, Canberra Airport (east), and City, Campbell (west) Diamond interchange
Majura ​ Tambreet St east – AFP Training Facility, Innabaanya Girl Guide Camp, Majura Training Area, Mount Majura Winery Diamond interchange
​ Majura Road east  – Majura Defence Range, Mount Majura Winery Southbound access via LILO T-intersection
​ Mount Majura Road west – Mount Majura air navigation facility, Mount Majura Winery Northbound access via LILO T-intersection
​ Hector McIntosh Grove northeast – Shooting ranges Southbound access via LILO T-intersection
Gungahlin, Majura ​ 11.5 7.1 Horse Park Drive west – Gungahlin
x20px Federal Highway (A23) north/south – Sydney, Goulburn (north), and North Canberra (south)		 Diamond interchange with single cloverleaf offramp, allowing non-stop access to both directions of the Federal Highway.
Parkway terminus: continues west as Horse Park Drive
  •       Unopened
Map depicting the Majura Parkway and adjoining roads post-completion.
Map depicting the Majura Parkway and adjoining roads post-completion.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Majura_Parkway&oldid=721210595"