Australian road markings

[Peter Freeman]

This is a neat layout to manage merging on a 3km motorway length with multiple junctions. It's eastbound on Sydney's M5, where the M8 and M5 tunnels begin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhS-ZEEXZXI

Successively -
1. An on-ramp from King Georges Road adds its two lanes to M5's three.
2. Two M8 lanes are indicated in the centre of the wide carriageway.
3. The M8 tunnel dives underground.
4. The King Georges Road traffic for M5 merges in.
5. The Bexley Road off-ramp diverges on the right.
6. The M5 tunnel begins.

No weaving required except a single lane change to the right for the improbable KGR to Bexley movement.

A reverse arrangement occurs westbound as both tunnels surface and merge.

[bart]

I wonder if the weird layout that lanes 2 and 3 become the M8 while 1, 4, and 5 continue as the M5 might confuse some people and cause sharp unnecessary weaving (however good the signage is, you see in the UK when an exit is split into two lanes by a tiger tail that drivers think they've missed it and drive across the chevrons). There's no real need for the 2-lane on ramp to actually merge with the M5; it could continue to be separated until the M8 splits off. Indeed, by not doing this I suspect some boy racer types joining from KGR to take the M5 will swing across dangerously onto the two-lane M5 mainline rather than choose to remain on the single-lane on slip.

[Peter Freeman]

I wonder if the weird layout that lanes 2 and 3 become the M8 while 1, 4, and 5 continue as the M5 might confuse some people and cause sharp unnecessary weaving (however good the signage is, you see in the UK when an exit is split into two lanes by a tiger tail that drivers think they've missed it and drive across the chevrons).

You're right. Opposite sides of the same carriageway, leading to the same destination (M5), is disconcerting, and perhaps confusing. In fact, I've just seen a video of some numpty actually moving from the on-ramp merge, across both M8 lanes, to reach the M5 lanes (lanes 4 & 5)! Not as scary as I would have thought, but traffic was light at the time.

I suspect some boy racer types joining from KGR to take the M5 will swing across dangerously onto the two-lane M5 mainline rather than choose to remain on the single-lane on slip.

... and that is perhaps more likely. However, the pure 5-lane section is not lengthy, so exposure to temptation is short-lived. Also, boy-racers may discover that their cheating doesn't actually gain anything, as the M5 is so busy that the single lane (lane 1) will probably get them to the M5 tunnel faster than the mainline anyway.

There's no real need for the 2-lane on ramp to actually merge with the M5; it could continue to be separated until the M8 splits off.

Yes, but not in its most simple form. That would concentrate M5-to-M8 traffic into one lane for a certain length: unacceptable, as this is almost the busiest motorway (during peak) in Sydney. However, the wide chevroned areas downstream of the on-ramp merge waste much road width. It would be feasible to use that width to grow the mainline from 3 to 4 lanes before the M5/M8 split. After the split, the right lane of the on-ramp could merge onto M8, and the left lane continue, as now, to a later merge onto M5. I think this modification could be made with minimal cost and disruption, if deemed to be necessary.

The current layout is a compromise, based on signage compliance, common sense and 'honour'. It's been in operation now for over two years. I have driven on it, but it's far from my home so I haven't been able to sit and observe. I assume, despite the transgression that I saw, that it's working satisfactorily. You can see how it feels by viewing dashcam videos (youtube search 'M8 Westconnex').

Edited 13/10/2022 to agree with Bart's suggestion.

[Peter Freeman]

After three motorways, driving video from Australia #4 shows a Sydney main road from a previous generation. The city has many roads of this general type and scale, including several that form lengthy, still-vital routes right across the city, though most would not be used end-to-end now. This one, the A3, forms a 50km N-S arc bypassing the CBD. Video -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5hdMIRFUzM

Such roads are generally D3, with only occasional grade separations. However, they do carry high flows - A3's mid-point, near the M4 interchange, has an AADT around 100,000. The generally efficient flow is discernible in the video, though that impression is exaggerated by the action speed-up and the edit-out of wait times at red signals.

A3 has nine GSJ's, more than most roads of this class. Most are SPUI's (easy to miss in the video), and often A3 is not the free-flow partner. Major intersections are signalised: no roundabouts (though three small roundabouts are seen near the end of the video, on minor local roads after leaving the A3 and A1).

A3 starts at 01m35s. The first few km (up to 06m00s) are surprisingly rural, passing over high ground between two outer suburbs. This is Mona Vale Road, currently being upgraded (roadworks are visible in the video). A3 improvements elsewhere are unlikely, except for one planned GSR-to-DDI conversion.

The more typical A3 style begins at 07m50s, passing below a SPUI with A1 (Pacific Highway). A3 once again meets A1 (Princes Highway) in the south, at 19m16s.

[Peter Freeman]

Here's an interesting way to reduce tunnel congestion - 'Pacemaker Lighting'.

Burnley Tunnel is a key component in Melbourne's urban motorway system. It suffers serious congestion, eastbound, upslope, during peak periods. It is more congested than its westbound equivalent, Domain Tunnel, because it dives deeper and therefore has a steeper exit incline. The idea behind this innovation is to psychologically dissuade drivers from inadvertently slowing on the up-slope. Predecessors were installed 1st on Tokyo's Gaikan Expressway and 2nd in the Eurasia Tunnel in Turkiye.

https://www.transurban.com/burnleytunne ... m_content=

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victo ... 2bb04165ed

[Peter Freeman]

This 'Protected Intersection for Cyclists' (Dutch style) was opened in Melbourne a couple of years ago -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=idBGKceL1NA

Another one is about to pop up in Brisbane.

[jnty]

Here's an interesting way to reduce tunnel congestion - 'Pacemaker Lighting'.

Burnley Tunnel is a key component in Melbourne's urban motorway system. It suffers serious congestion, eastbound, upslope, during peak periods. It is more congested than its westbound equivalent, Domain Tunnel, because it dives deeper and therefore has a steeper exit incline. The idea behind this innovation is to psychologically dissuade drivers from inadvertently slowing on the up-slope. Predecessors were installed 1st on Tokyo's Gaikan Expressway and 2nd in the Eurasia Tunnel in Turkiye.

https://www.transurban.com/burnleytunne ... m_content=

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victo ... 2bb04165ed

It is funny how we talk about the opportunities and challenges of self-driving cars, yet have had the in-car technology to avoid things like this for years ([adaptive] cruise control) but are still unable to rely on it to solve simple human failures like this.

There's an incline on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass which generates congestion in this way too, and from observation it's often caused by driver behaviour rather than struggling 'crawler' vehicles. I wonder how much roads investment could be avoided - both in initial design and later upgrades - if we could rely on most vehicles to maintain a consistent speed up hills.

[Peter Freeman]

It is funny how we talk about the opportunities and challenges of self-driving cars, yet have had the in-car technology to avoid things like this for years ([adaptive] cruise control) but are still unable to rely on it to solve simple human failures like this.

Quite so. Still, it will be a while until all cars have adaptive cruise control, and even longer until most drivers actually use it for much of the time, so this is justified meanwhile (assuming it really works. If it doesn't persuade drivers to keep up, well at least it's not going to slow them down, so nothing to lose).

There's an incline on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass which generates congestion in this way too, and from observation it's often caused by driver behaviour rather than struggling 'crawler' vehicles. I wonder how much roads investment could be avoided - both in initial design and later upgrades - if we could rely on most vehicles to maintain a consistent speed up hills.

I notice this effect all the time, on all types of road. Just driving in my local suburb, which has a few hills, at least 50% of vehicles slow down to well below the limit on the hills. It's as if the drivers bumble along, on the flat, right foot not moving, and part way up the hill they think "Oh, I've slowed down. Oh yes, here's a hill. I'll press a bit harder. Oh, too late, still going slow ...". Lack of anticipation ... or worse (brains, car empathy, physics education, ...).

[edited to fix abbreviation]

[swissferry]

Slowing down on a hill can improve fuel efficiency. Accelerating on it has a negative effect with the possible exception of accelerating a little to reach optimum revs for the gear.

Congestion is caused by

• drivers not maintaining appropriate gaps
• greater range in speeds leading to increased likelihood of slower vehicles in outer lanes - which may take longer to overtake, e.g. elephant racing

If the average speed of vehicle is slower on a hill theoretically the capacity of the road would increase if appropriate gaps were maintained and vehicles slowing by a few mph didn't trigger the urge to overtake.

[Peter Freeman]

^ You're right; and slowing down almost anywhere can improve efficiency, not just on hills. jnty's A720 remarks above - yes, potential capacity issue. But my remarks above were not about efficiency, capacity, etc - rather just about numpty-ish poor driving and resultant exasperation on everyday suburban S2 roads. In neither the A720 case, nor my more trivial case, are the drivers deliberately slowing to save fuel.

[Peter Freeman]

Sorry if this has been mentioned but I think a huge improvement over the last couple of decades has been putting the name of the junction / roundabout on road signs. Much easier IMHO to advise people to ‘take the first exit from the xyz roundabout’ if it says ‘xyz roundabout’ on it. ...

(quoted from a different topic)

Australia doesn't have any real matches for this, apart from an inordinate number of intersections named 'Three Ways' or 'Five Ways' (common in the UK too, I think ... ?). However, only a few are signed as such.

An interesting semi-officially named intersection that we do have, however, is 'The Meccano Set'. This is in SW Sydney, on A22 Hume Hwy (not to be confused with Hume Freeway, the current main route). The form of the intersection dates from 1962, and direction signs were attached to an unusually chunky structure which soon became known by its nick-name 'The Meccano Set'. It remained in place for nearly 60 years, but was eventually deemed to be in need of replacement. The replacement could have been in a modern format - neater, and not as a gantry - but local residents resoundingly favoured like-for-like. The authorities obliged, and so we still have it as a minor Sydney landmark.

Unfortunately the name, though well-known, does not appear at the location. It shows up in web searches, Wikipedia and on Google Maps, etc.

Location is here -
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Th ... 11j5hvhj64
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.889 ... 384!8i8192

Further info is here -
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projec ... k-complete

[Bryn666]

Sorry if this has been mentioned but I think a huge improvement over the last couple of decades has been putting the name of the junction / roundabout on road signs. Much easier IMHO to advise people to ‘take the first exit from the xyz roundabout’ if it says ‘xyz roundabout’ on it. ...

(quoted from a different topic)

Australia doesn't have any real matches for this, apart from an inordinate number of intersections named 'Three Ways' or 'Five Ways' (common in the UK too, I think ... ?). However, only a few are signed as such.

An interesting semi-officially named intersection that we do have, however, is 'The Meccano Set'. This is in SW Sydney, on A22 Hume Hwy (not to be confused with Hume Freeway, the current main route). The form of the intersection dates from 1962, and direction signs were attached to an unusually chunky structure which soon became known by its nick-name 'The Meccano Set'. It remained in place for nearly 60 years, but was eventually deemed to be in need of replacement. The replacement could have been in a modern format - neater, and not as a gantry - but local residents resoundingly favoured like-for-like. The authorities obliged, and so we still have it as a minor Sydney landmark.

Unfortunately the name, though well-known, does not appear at the location. It shows up in web searches, Wikipedia and on Google Maps, etc.

Location is here -
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Th ... 11j5hvhj64
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.889 ... 384!8i8192

Further info is here -
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projec ... k-complete

And it's a quite a clever way to deal with a large intersection - we have almost got similar on the A45 at Sheldon, which must be unique in the UK for having absolutely no post mounted signals on the A45 itself, they're all overhead.

https://goo.gl/maps/jeC6psQKogK38sbP7

[Chris5156]

Sorry if this has been mentioned but I think a huge improvement over the last couple of decades has been putting the name of the junction / roundabout on road signs. Much easier IMHO to advise people to ‘take the first exit from the xyz roundabout’ if it says ‘xyz roundabout’ on it. ...

(quoted from a different topic)

Australia doesn't have any real matches for this, apart from an inordinate number of intersections named 'Three Ways' or 'Five Ways' (common in the UK too, I think ... ?). However, only a few are signed as such.

One thing Australia does have, and which I think is pretty much unique internationally, is a way to include the name of a road as well as its number. I think this is because, historically (and probably still today) many major roads are much better known by their name than their designation: Hume Highway rather than M31, and so on.

I think this is a really useful innovation, and probably my favourite thing about Australian direction signs. There's a case for permitting something similar on UK signs, so - for example - it was possible to indicate "A41 Finchley Road" rather than just "A41" on signs.

[Peter Freeman]

And it's a quite a clever way to deal with a large intersection - we have almost got similar on the A45 at Sheldon, which must be unique in the UK for having absolutely no post mounted signals on the A45 itself, they're all overhead.

https://goo.gl/maps/jeC6psQKogK38sbP7

Remarkably similar. Both examples are quite pleasing as well as functional.

Differences -

1. The Sheldon structure is not a complete square (or rhombus), as the gantries span A45 only. I suppose this is because your stop lines are set further back than AU's, and so the vertical support positions wouldn't work out as well (perhaps an octogon structure would be needed!).

2. The UK overhead signs are double-sided, so waiting vehicles can see not only their set that they look up-angle to, but also an identical set (repeaters) across the junction. It's quite useful (a better viewing angle, and a reminder), though by the time you're that close to the stop line you're hardly going to swap lanes. The Meccano Set could also have this double-sided feature, though the left turn signals would not be repeated as the free-left-turn slip roads (which AU has, Sheldon doesn't) have already taken those vehicles away before the stop line.

[bothar]

Luminescent road markings
https://traveltomorrow.com/glow-in-the- ... australia/

[crazyknightsfan]

Luminescent road markings
https://traveltomorrow.com/glow-in-the- ... australia/

I've driven some of these in Victoria recently - they don't really work in practice. Car headlights don't provide enough light to recharge the glow effect and many locations don't get enough sun on the lines to provide any meaningful effect in dark conditions. I think it's a bit of a novelty that hasn't worked at this point...

[Peter Freeman]

I suspected as much for the glow-lines ...

Crazyknightsfan - if you're in Victoria currently, have you checked out the pacemaker lighting in the Burnley Tunnel? And the massive overhead works around Footscray and Dynon Roads, for the M4 city connections?

[Peter Freeman]

Driving video from Australia #5 is a short showcase of a Melbourne roads icon - Westgate Bridge. Just for fun.

This 2016 eastbound video is rather out of date. Being Melbourne's busiest freeway (though not busy at the time of this run), many enhancements have since occurred. However, none of the omissions diminishes the dynamic experience seen here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N06_VPb19g

FYI, some of the recent enhancements are -
1. At 21s, where the off-ramp to Williamstown Road diverges, the view has been radically changed by a portal on the left for the in-construction Westgate Tunnel.
2. At 35s, rising up the bridge, elevated ramps leading to the Spotswood industral area now flank each side of the M1.
3. At 1m40s, the off-ramp to M2 (signed as route 43 in 2016) has been widened, and metering signals added before the merge into M2 nb.
4. At 1m55s, on the right, the connector from M2 sb to M1 eb now adds two lanes, through metering signals, instead of the single lane add seen here. That makes seven lanes eastbound. Various exits strip it down to only three before it approaches the Burnley Tunnel at 2m40s.

[crazyknightsfan]

I suspected as much for the glow-lines ...

Crazyknightsfan - if you're in Victoria currently, have you checked out the pacemaker lighting in the Burnley Tunnel? And the massive overhead works around Footscray and Dynon Roads, for the M4 city connections?

Unfortunately I didn't get much time in Melbourne and didn't make it through the tunnel. Did see all the works around Dynon Road on the way to the Airport - very impressive.

[Peter Freeman]

Three short videos here for information/entertainment. They all relate to recent and current improvements to Queensland's M1 Pacific Motorway.

The theme for the Exit 41 and Exit 49 upgrades is abolition of dumbbell interchanges that date from M1's more rural origins. The emphasis for 'Daisy Hill to Logan', which also features the replacement of roundabouts by signals, is on capacity (congestion relief). Work on 'Daisy Hill to Logan' is just beginning. It's the final stage of a 3-stage upgrade of M1 Pacific Motorway's most northerly part.

My intention is to visually show the different look, whether better or worse, of current AU practise compared with UK's. A few differences you may notice -

1. Ramp metering (I think all AU cities will gradually move towards Melbourne's extensive adoption).
2. Strong channelisation and lane assignment.
3. Flaring the number of lanes at stop lines, up to factor 3.
4. Hard shoulders optional (no UK-style absence warning signs: it's common, and it's assumed you'll simply see that there's no shoulder).
5. Public and active transport provision parallel to the road.
6. Confident assertion in the videos' captions that "new (signalised) intersection will help traffic flow". At some of these locations, I'm sure that UK would retain roundabouts. The three eastern states of mainland AU are convinced, from experience, that roundabouts have no place in busy motorway interchanges.

Videos (links taken from construction web sites) -

Exit 41 upgrade-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYRo_yfeCxM&t=8s

Exit 49 upgrade -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maO9PeSfKt0

Upgrade from Daisy Hill to Logan Motorway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v58zwQu8usw