An upgrade to the city's traffic light signals will have a significant improvement on traffic gridlock around Invermay, the City of Launceston council says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
More than a year after the council voted to defer the Invermay Traffic Master Plan, it is set to be discussed at next week's meeting.
Since the last discussions, many of the projects have progressed to a design phase and are ready to get underway, with two already in the construction phase.
The plan's first objective is to reduce congestion, followed by improving traffic performance, minimise traffic impact, maximise pedestrian and cycling connections and offer improved circulation.
Traffic signal upgrades
Traffic signals are the most effective way of meeting the needs of large traffic volumes, the council said.
An upgrade to the city's traffic lights has already started, with the Wellington Street light upgrades almost complete and Bathurst Street upgrades planned to start in late January.
The upgrade will allow the ability to synchronise with other traffic signals in the network and better respond to peak traffic periods.
Old traffic signal control boxes will be replaced, along with upgrading telecommunications systems.
The upgrades will improve the communication information available to the public allowing informed travel planning and movement through a phone app.
Monitoring systems will also be put in place for the council to get real-time traffic numbers, and allow the Hobart control centre to change light phases when required.
"The new technology will provide intermediate benefits, and through collection of data overtime, will allow the continual improvement," the council said.
The lights project is a collaboration between the council, state and federal governments.
RELATED STORIES:
- Plan to be discussed in November
- Master plan coming soon
- Draft master plan released
- Invermay Traffic Master Plan deferred unanimously
- Invermay Traffic Master Plan expected to be discussed at April meeting
- Two Goderich Street, Invermay, intersections to be upgraded
- Invermay residents voice concern at latest traffic plan
- Invermay draft traffic masterplan now open for comment
Link road
Upgrades to a link road that run runs from Lindsay Street to Gleadow Street, behind Bunnings, is already underway.
The link road aims to improve traffic circulation and reduce demand on the Lindsay and Goderich street intersection.
Traffic will be encouraged to use the link road, and then the double right-hand turn lanes at the Goderich and Gleadow street intersection, where new traffic lights will be installed.
During community consultation, the public expressed frustration about the current performance of the Goderich and Lindsay street traffic lights, particularly queuing to get on the bridge during peak times.
The two-way link road is expected to cost $940,000.
Goderich Street corridor
Gleadow Street
New traffic signals and an intersection at Gleadow Street, along with the new link road, aims to better distribute traffic and relieve pressure on the Lindsay and Goderich street intersection.
Although the lights will introduce a new stopping point for Goderich Street, modelling shows drivers will be unaffected by the intersection.
A double right-hand lane will be installed to help bring traffic back into Launceston.
Forster Street
A second north-bound right-turn lane at Forster Street is set to improve capacity for vehicles accessing the Inveresk precinct.
East-bound traffic in Forster Street is expected to increase from 580 vehicles an hour to 900 during the morning peak. By 2033, with this change, the traffic will be at a level that is close to the limit of stable flow.
"This is a positive result given the extra traffic that will be accommodated," the council said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Lindsay Street intersection
A trial of removing right-hand turn lanes from the Charles Street Bridge intersection will be put in place as soon as the intersection's traffic lights are upgraded.
The three-month trial will remove the turning lanes from the north and south.
Access to Bunnings will be available from the new Gleadow Street intersection, which will see traffic then travel along the new link road.
Inveresk
The only project proposed for Inveresk is the removal of the roundabout at the Lindsay Street and Invermay Road intersection.
Traffic lights will replace the roundabout, which will allow the signals to be synchronised with the ones on Boland Street. This will allow traffic to be managed better in the future, the council said.
"While the existing roundabout provides a reasonable level of service for north and south traffic in isolation, it does not perform well in conjunction with the Boland Street traffic signals," they said.
"With the addition of UTAS traffic by 2033, the roundabout is predicted to perform significantly worse than than traffic signals."
The installation of traffic lights will also increase pedestrian safety at the site.
Timeline
Short-term projects: 1-3 years away
- Lindsay Street west - street upgrades
- New link road
- Gleadow Street
- Goderich and Gleadow street traffic lights
- Goderich and Forster street double right-hand turn lane
- Invermay Road and Lindsay Street intersection traffic lights
Goderich street, Charles Street Bridge and Lindsay Street intersection will be closely monitored during this time. This is to identify ways to reduce delays on the East Tamar Highway corridor.
Medium-term projects: 3-5 years away
- Improvements to Gleadow and Montagu streets
- Invermay Road corridor review for pedestrian and cycling connectivity: will be completed post UTAS master plan and building design is finished
- Holbrook Street (south) bike lanes and street improvements
- Gleadow Street (east) bike trail and street improvements
- Churchill Park Drive road widening and on street parking opportunities\
HAVE YOUR SAY:
Journalist at The Examiner Newspaper
Journalist at The Examiner Newspaper
