Congestion could clog Tullamarine Freeway by 2028 as car trips to airport soar
THE Tullamarine Freeway could be clogged to choking point in 10 years with Melbourne Airport officials warning a solution must be found soon.
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AIRPORT bosses warn Melbourne has exhausted options for dealing with crippling congestion as figures show the Tullamarine Freeway will reach choking point in a decade unless a rail link is built.
Figures obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun show vehicle trips to Melbourne Airport are forecast to soar 34 per cent by 2028 — adding more than four million extra car journeys to the freeway each year.
By that time, 16.5 million vehicles will use the corridor annually, creating a congestion nightmare for motorists even after road-widening works are finished this year.
Melbourne Airport’s chief of parking and ground access Lorie Argus said the Tullamarine upgrade had been a welcome move but more needed to be done.
“The biggest challenge we face is making sure we build the right infrastructure at the right time,” she said. “We’ve done an analysis and we know the Tullamarine Freeway buys us a significant amount of time once it is fully opened.
“The challenge with our growth is that when you consider the roads as they stand, you’re really only buying yourself 10 years before congestion creates problems.
“That is why we were really pleased with the state government’s view that by the time Metro Tunnel is completed construction of an airport rail link should be under way.”
On a normal day there are more than 300 vehicle movements every hour in the public pick-up lanes at the airport.
Ms Argus said the airport was introducing free 10-minute pick-up areas inside the terminal car park and investing in the Terminal 4 transport hub to manage surging passenger growth.
“We’re definitely seeing an increase in people using the public pick-up and drop-off area and that’s something to consider because it has limited capacity,” she said.
“We want to work with the state and federal governments on an airport rail solution … Ultimately it has got to be attractive for customers.”
Late last year the Turnbull and Andrews governments began working on a business case for a rail link to Melbourne Airport.
By 2033 the hub is expected to handle more than 60 million passengers annually, compared to the 35 million it handles now.
It comes after the Committee for Melbourne this week launched their own submission on a rail link and called on the public and private sector to work quickly on a solution.
Committee for Melbourne chief executive Martine Letts said improvements to the road network were just one step towards ensuring the airport stayed globally competitive.
“We are conscious of the fact that, despite the widening of the Tulla and the North East Link, we are aware (of) increasing congestion at that choke point as you get to the airport,” she said.
“You’ve still got the problem of cars approaching and there are no efficient ways of short-circuiting that long wait ... it is only going to get worse.
“We don’t think we can afford to wait another 10 or 15 years before serious progress is made.
“The harder we make it for people to move back and forth from the airport, the further we fall behind.”
WOULD YOU USE AN AIRPORT RAIL LINK?
JOHNATHON PARSONS, 34, AND POPPY, 3, SWAN HILL
“Hell yeah! We just catch the train from Swan Hill to the city and then have to taxi or bus out — that would make it so much easier, and cheaper. We drove this time around, but it would be way cheaper than fuel.”
KAYE ROBINSON, 55, GOLD COAST
“100 per cent. I’m now waiting for over an hour for a bus down to Mornington. I missed it by about 10 minutes because my flight was delayed at the other end. It’s a two-hour bus and then I’m getting picked up from there.”
ELLIE SUGDEN, 25, AND DANIEL HARRISON, 27, HAWTHORN/RICHMOND
“We’d normally get a taxi but at this time of day we’d just be stuck in traffic and it would cost a fortune. A rail link would definitely be a good idea. We’re catching the SkyBus, which is $18.”
JAKE PEPPER, 29, AND SOPHIE WESTLEY, 30, CAIRNS/COLLINGWOOD
“We haven’t decided how we’re getting into the city. Uber maybe. I would definitely use a train, though. It makes it so much easier. We’ve done the one from Sydney and it’s so easy.”
— ALANAH FROST
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