TransApex
Encyclopedia
TransApex is a transport plan devised by the former Brisbane
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman
to connect existing motorways and major arterial roads with new transport links and divert cross-city traffic out of the Brisbane CBD. The plan is currently being delivered by Brisbane City Council at an estimated total cost of over $10 billion across five stages. According to the Brisbane City Council website, TransApex is “the biggest urban road project proposed in Australia”.
.
, Labor
had investigated a number of tunnels throughout Brisbane, including the future Clem Jones Tunnel and Airport Link
, though none had progressed past feasibility studies by the time of the 2004 election.
The two stages of TransApex were proposed to be funded by a combination of a toll of $2 (including GST
) per segment link and contributions from Federal, State and Local governments.
The five projects (in chronological order of project commencement) are:
Construction of the Clem Jones Tunnel and the Go Between Bridge has been completed, construction is currently underway on Airport Link, Legacy Way and Stage 1 of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade. Discussions are still underway regarding the East-West Link and Stages 2 and 3 of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade and as of June 2011 firm construction dates for these projects have not been announced.
in August. It links Woolloongabba
to Bowen Hills
via Kangaroo Point
under the Story Bridge
.
This project was delivered as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) by the Rivercity Motorway
consortium at a final cost of $3.2 billion. The tunnel was opened on 18 March 2010, with traffic able to use the tunnel toll-free for 3 weeks due to its early opening. When the $3.95 toll was instated, poor initial patronage forced the operators to reduce the toll to $2 to encourage usage. The toll has since returned to its original value of $3.95.
via Kedron
.
For ease of construction, this tunnel is being built in conjunction with the Northern Busway
project and the Airport Roundabout Upgrade project. Airport Link is being constructed by Brisconnections and also uses the PPP model. Construction costs for the project are estimated to be $4.8 billion and the toll is expected to be $4.85 per trip. The Airport Link project is the largest road infrastructure project in Australia and is the most expensive of the TransApex projects.
to the west of the existing William Jolly Bridge
.
The bridge was constructed by the Hale Street Link Alliance at a final cost of $338 million. As of 1 July 2011 the toll will be $2.35 (adjusted for CPI), which is the lowest of all the TransApex projects.
at Buranda
. It is currently expected to commence sometime around 2026 but may be brought forward depending on the findings of a review currently underway by Brisbane City Council. The project does not appear in the Queensland State Government South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program
running to 2031.
As of June 2011 the proposed delivery model and toll and construction costs for the project have not been released.
(Lane Cove Tunnel
, Sydney
) and Cross City Motorway (Cross City Tunnel
, Sydney) both going into receivership. Of the TransApex tunnels, Rivercity Motorways went into receivership in February 2011 and Brisconnections shares are trading below their initial sale price of $1 as of June 2011. Speculated causes for the financial difficulties include underestimated costs and overestimated revenue ; the Clem Jones Tunnel was originally budgeted at $2 billion. Though still yet to deliver the tunnel, Airport Link constructors Leighton Holdings
have forecast a pre-tax loss of $430 million on the project.
Community action groups such as the Rivermouth Action Group (Clem Jones Tunnel), West End Community Organisation (Go Between Bridge) and SOS4031 (Airport Link) provide forums for local residents and businesses to have an influence on construction related activities and decisions.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman
Campbell Newman
Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman is the leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. He was the 15th Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 2004 to 2011....
to connect existing motorways and major arterial roads with new transport links and divert cross-city traffic out of the Brisbane CBD. The plan is currently being delivered by Brisbane City Council at an estimated total cost of over $10 billion across five stages. According to the Brisbane City Council website, TransApex is “the biggest urban road project proposed in Australia”.
Background
Brisbane is well known for its significant long-term population growth, and this growth combined with the city’s proximity to the high growth areas of the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast puts major pressure on the road and public transport network, with peak hour congestion on parts of the Brisbane road network. Despite the visible impacts of the high growth on the road network, road infrastructure and public transport in south-east Queensland has failed to keep up with the resulting increase in vehicular demand. Brisbane’s road network operates essentially as a ‘hub’, with the city’s major roads feeding directly into the CBD. In 2004, when TransApex was first proposed, there was only one corridor that traffic could use to bypass the city centre (the former Gateway Bridge), which lies 8km to the east of the CBD as the crow fliesAs the crow flies
"As the crow flies" or beelining is an idiom for the shortest route between two points; the geodesic distance.An example is the great-circle distance between Key West and Pensacola, at either end of the U.S...
.
Labor proposal
During the tenure of former Lord Mayor Jim SoorleyJim Soorley
James Gerard Soorley is a former Australian politician. He served as Australian Labor Party Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1991 to 2003. Soorley is a former Roman Catholic Priest and continues to be a strong human rights advocate...
, Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
had investigated a number of tunnels throughout Brisbane, including the future Clem Jones Tunnel and Airport Link
Airport Link, Brisbane
The Airport Link is a tunnelled motorway grade road which is under construction in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It will connect the Brisbane central business district and the Clem Jones Tunnel to the East-West Arterial Road which leads to the Brisbane Airport...
, though none had progressed past feasibility studies by the time of the 2004 election.
Liberal proposal
As the Liberal lord mayoral candidate in the 2004 Brisbane local government election, Campbell Newman proposed a transport infrastructure plan which would “revolutionise cross-town travel for motorists and provide for the creation of cross-suburban bus routes for public transport patrons... while its resultant free-flowing road network will mean shorter trips, reduced fuel consumption and decreased vehicle emissions.” Newman’s original proposal was a system of five tunnels to be constructed in two stages:-
- Stage One (2004–2013, $3.2 billion)
- The East/West Distributor: a 5.8-kilometre, four-lane tunnel (including a river tunnel) linking Old Logan road and Cleveland Road at Stones Corner, the South East Freeway and Ipswich Road at Woolloongabba and the Western Freeway at Toowong (now East-West Link)
- The North/South Distributor: a 5.7 kilometre, four-lane tunnel running under Main Street and the Story Bridge, linking Ipswich Road, the South East Freeway, Logan Road and Old Cleveland Road with Bowen Bridge Road and the Inner City Bypass at Bowen Hills (now Clem Jones Tunnel)
- The Northern Link: a 3.6 kilometre, four-lane tunnel connecting the Western Freeway with the Hale Street Inner City Bypass route. This tunnel will also serve as a link between the East/West Distributor and the North/South Distributor, completing Brisbane’s first inner ring road system (now Legacy Way)
- The Hale Street/South Brisbane Connection: a 600 metre, four-lane tunnel linking Hale Street with Merivale and Cordelia Streets at South Brisbane. This tunnel represents a pre-emptive move against an expected growth in traffic in the area caused by the West End Urban Renewal Program (now Go Between Bridge)
Stage Two (2014–2018, $800 million) - The Kingsford Smith Drive Duplication: a 3.9 kilometre tunnel linking the Inner City Bypass at the Breakfast Creek Hotel with the new alignment of the Gateway Arterial Road. This tunnel ensures that each of the city’s main arterial roads is directly connected to the inner ring road system (now split into two distinct projects: Airport Link and Kingsford-Smith Drive widening)
- Stage One (2004–2013, $3.2 billion)
The two stages of TransApex were proposed to be funded by a combination of a toll of $2 (including GST
Goods and Services Tax
A goods and services tax or value added tax is a tax on exchanges.By country:*Goods and Services Tax *Goods and Services Tax *Goods and Services Tax *Goods and Services Tax...
) per segment link and contributions from Federal, State and Local governments.
Current structure
The final implementation strategy of the plan is significantly different to what was originally proposed, and now consists of four tunnels and one bridge linking various parts of the city. The Kingsford Smith Drive Tunnel is likely to be abandoned and replaced by two projects – a tunnel linking the end of the North South Bypass Tunnel to the Brisbane Airport (part of the Airport Link project) and a staged surface upgrade of Kingsford Smith Drive.The five projects (in chronological order of project commencement) are:
- Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM7)
- Airport Link
- Go Between Bridge (formerly Hale Street Link)
- Legacy Way (formerly Northern Link)
- East-West Link
Construction of the Clem Jones Tunnel and the Go Between Bridge has been completed, construction is currently underway on Airport Link, Legacy Way and Stage 1 of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade. Discussions are still underway regarding the East-West Link and Stages 2 and 3 of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade and as of June 2011 firm construction dates for these projects have not been announced.
Clem Jones Tunnel (North South Bypass Tunnel)
This tunnel was the largest project in the original TransApex proposal, and commenced construction in 2006 after the Royal Queensland ShowEkka
The Ekka is the annual agricultural show of Queensland, Australia. Its formal title is the Royal Queensland Show. It was originally called the Brisbane Exhibition, however it is usually shortened to Ekka.-History:...
in August. It links Woolloongabba
Woolloongabba, Queensland
Woolloongabba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south of the Brisbane CBD.Experts are divided regarding the Aboriginal meaning of the name, preferring either 'whirling waters' or 'fight talk place'...
to Bowen Hills
Bowen Hills, Queensland
Bowen Hills is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia, located 3 km northeast of the Brisbane CBD. It was named after a Governor of Queensland, Sir George Ferguson Bowen.-History:...
via Kangaroo Point
Kangaroo Point, Queensland
Kangaroo Point is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia located directly east across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane central business district.- Geography :...
under the Story Bridge
Story Bridge, Brisbane
The Story Bridge is a cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River. Part of Bradfield Highway , it connects Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point. Before the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932 the Government of Queensland asked John Bradfield to design a new bridge in Brisbane...
.
This project was delivered as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) by the Rivercity Motorway
RiverCity Motorway
RiverCity Motorway Group is a Queensland company that operates Brisbane’s first private tollway—the Clem Jones Tunnel . They also established FLOW Tolling, a tolling service provider. Rivercity Motorways Group won the rights to be the maintain the Clem Jones Tunnel...
consortium at a final cost of $3.2 billion. The tunnel was opened on 18 March 2010, with traffic able to use the tunnel toll-free for 3 weeks due to its early opening. When the $3.95 toll was instated, poor initial patronage forced the operators to reduce the toll to $2 to encourage usage. The toll has since returned to its original value of $3.95.
Airport Link
This project was not part of the original TransApex proposal, and was first proposed by Soorley as Stages 2 and 3 of the North-South Bypass Tunnel. The tunnel originates at the northern end of the Clem Jones Tunnel at Bowen Hills and will link the CBD to the Brisbane AirportBrisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area...
via Kedron
Kedron, Queensland
Kedron is a northern suburb of Brisbane, Australia, centred on Gympie Road and Kedron Brook. It is close to Westfield Chermside shopping centre in the neighbouring suburb of Chermside...
.
For ease of construction, this tunnel is being built in conjunction with the Northern Busway
Northern Busway, Brisbane
Northern Busway is a bus-only road in Brisbane, Queensland. The busway allows buses to travel north/south through the Brisbane City without encountering car traffic. The first section of the Northern Busway opened in February 2004 had one station, QUT Kelvin Grove, later Normanby and RCH Herston...
project and the Airport Roundabout Upgrade project. Airport Link is being constructed by Brisconnections and also uses the PPP model. Construction costs for the project are estimated to be $4.8 billion and the toll is expected to be $4.85 per trip. The Airport Link project is the largest road infrastructure project in Australia and is the most expensive of the TransApex projects.
Go Between Bridge
Although originally proposed as a tunnel, a feasibility study favoured a bridge for economic and engineering reasons. It connects the western end of the Inner City Bypass with Merivale and Cordelia Streets in South BrisbaneSouth Brisbane, Queensland
South Brisbane is an inner city suburb of Brisbane, Australia located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, directly connected to the central business district by the Kurilpa, Victoria and Goodwill bridges....
to the west of the existing William Jolly Bridge
William Jolly Bridge, Brisbane
The William Jolly Bridge is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge over the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a steel frame arch bridge with an unusual concrete veneer and was opened to traffic on 30 March 1932 by Sir John Goodwin, the Governor of Queensland.When opened, during...
.
The bridge was constructed by the Hale Street Link Alliance at a final cost of $338 million. As of 1 July 2011 the toll will be $2.35 (adjusted for CPI), which is the lowest of all the TransApex projects.
Legacy Way
This tunnel will link the Western Freeway at the Toowong roundabout to the Inner City Bypass near Victoria Park golf course. The Transcity joint venture commenced construction in April 2011 and the project is expected to finish in late 2014 at an estimated cost of $1.8 billion, including over $1 billion borrowed from the State Government and $500 million of federal funding. The toll will be set at $3 for the first year after opening and is expected to reach a maximum of $4.61 per trip.East-West Link
This tunnel is proposed to link the Western Freeway at the Toowong roundabout to the Pacific MotorwayPacific Motorway
The Pacific Motorway is a 100 km long motorway in Australia between Brisbane, Queensland, and the New South Wales-Queensland border at Tweed Heads. The motorway starts at Coronation Drive at Milton in Brisbane, and from 2008 links the Tweed Heads bypass in New South Wales...
at Buranda
Buranda, Queensland
Buranda is a locality in the southern Brisbane suburbs of Greenslopes and Annerley, in Brisbane, Australia.The location is an important transport hub for southern Brisbane. Logan Road and Ipswich Road pass through the area as does the South East Busway with a station called Buranda busway station. ...
. It is currently expected to commence sometime around 2026 but may be brought forward depending on the findings of a review currently underway by Brisbane City Council. The project does not appear in the Queensland State Government South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program
South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program
The South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program 2010–2031 is produced by the Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning and outlines estimated infrastructure investment across South East Queensland Australia to 2031. It represents a long-term commitment to infrastructure...
running to 2031.
As of June 2011 the proposed delivery model and toll and construction costs for the project have not been released.
Controversy
Despite the TransApex projects being a significant factor behind Newman’s 2004 election victory, the initial support has been largely negated by community backlash and financial concerns regarding the projects’ long term viability.Financial
Australian tunnel operators have a poor financial track record, with Connector MotorwaysConnector Motorways
Connector Motorways is an Australian toll road operator. Connector owns the Lane Cove Tunnel and the Falcon Street Gateway in northern Sydney. Both projects opened to the public in March 2007....
(Lane Cove Tunnel
Lane Cove Tunnel
The Lane Cove Tunnel is a A$1.1 billion, 3.6 km twin tunnel tollway in Sydney, Australia, connecting the M2 Motorway at North Ryde with the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
) and Cross City Motorway (Cross City Tunnel
Cross City Tunnel
The Cross City Tunnel is a 2.1 km-long tunnel located in Sydney, Australia. It links Darling Harbour on the Western fringe of the central business district to Rushcutters Bay in the Eastern Suburbs...
, Sydney) both going into receivership. Of the TransApex tunnels, Rivercity Motorways went into receivership in February 2011 and Brisconnections shares are trading below their initial sale price of $1 as of June 2011. Speculated causes for the financial difficulties include underestimated costs and overestimated revenue ; the Clem Jones Tunnel was originally budgeted at $2 billion. Though still yet to deliver the tunnel, Airport Link constructors Leighton Holdings
Leighton Holdings
Leighton Holdings is Australia's largest project development and contracting group. It is active in the telecommunications, engineering and infrastructure, building and property, mining and resources, and environmental services industries...
have forecast a pre-tax loss of $430 million on the project.
Tolls
The current toll prices are all higher than the $2 per link proposed in the initial plan, and none of the remaining projects are likely to have tolls below this figure. Research has shown that tolling new infrastructure can actually discourage people from using it, keeping volumes high on the congested surface roads.Usage
Actual traffic volumes on the Clem7 have been as low as a third of forecast volumes. Possible reasons for the variation include lower than expected traffic growth and local roadworks around key portals. The Go Between Bridge has not seen similar problems.Community
Community feedback during construction of the TransApex projects has generally been negative; common complaints include construction noise, dust, vibration and parking.Community action groups such as the Rivermouth Action Group (Clem Jones Tunnel), West End Community Organisation (Go Between Bridge) and SOS4031 (Airport Link) provide forums for local residents and businesses to have an influence on construction related activities and decisions.
External links
- http://bi.mipo.jsadigital.com.au/MIPO/Transport_projects/TransApex.aspx BCC TransApex project page
- http://www.notunnels.net/ Communities Against The Tunnels (lobby group opposed to car tunnels in Brisbane)
- http://www.rag.org.au/tunnel/default.htm Rivermouth Action Group (lobby group opposed to tunnelling in Brisbane)
- http://www.sos4031.hostcell.net/ SOS4031 (community lobby group in Kedron)
- http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/41156/20040329/www.newman.liberal.org.au/pdf/Moving%20Brisbane.pdf Copy of Campbell Newman's election policy "Moving Brisbane" containing original TransApex proposal