Speed limits on Tullamarine Freeway to be capped at 80km/h

UPDATE: THE RACV has labelled the permanent slashing of speed limits on the Tullamarine Freeway to and from the airport as “totally inappropriate”.

Aerials of Citylink Tunnel closure caused traffic chaos on Melbourne's roads this morning. Bolte bridge, Tullamarine freeway

VICTORIA’s peak motoring body has slammed the permanent slashing of speed limits on the Tullamarine Freeway to and from the airport as “totally inappropriate”.

Once major road widening works are complete, the driving speed will be cut to 80km/h along the major city thoroughfare.

The speed reduction along the thoroughfare to Melbourne Airport was confirmed by CityLink yesterday, to come into effect after major widening works are complete in early 2018.

But RACV general manager of public policy Brian Negus called on CityLink to use overhead electronic signs to adjust the speed between on-peak and off-peak times so that “credible speed limits apply”.

“Use the smart technology to manage this route properly and not just go for a one size fits all 80km/h speed limit,” he said.

“It’s just totally inappropriate and it’s beyond reasonable expectations of the motoring community.

“The credibility of speed limits is threatened by a one size fits all approach.”

Mr Negus rejected suggestions the removal of the emergency stopping lanes and narrowing of lanes by 15cm to add an extra lane would compromise safety at 100km/h.

“A 15cm narrowing is not an argument to say there’s going to be an increased safety problem ... 15cm is nothing,” he said.

Despite the removal of emergency stopping lanes along the 24km stretch of road in the widening project, Mr Negus said stopping lanes could be reinstated in the case of an emergency through overhead electronic signs.

Mr Negus raised his concerns over the permanent speed cap with both Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan and Transurban chief executive Scott Charlton at the Intelligent Transport Systems Australia Summit this morning.

He said he supported the $1.3 billion CityLink Tulla Widening project but was against the speed cap plan.

Meanwhile, road chiefs have moved to reassure motorists angered by being forced to drive slower once the project is finished.

“We can actually get better travel times and better throughput of traffic with a reduced speed limit,” said Transurban CityLink Tulla Widening program director David Clements.

“The West Gate Freeway has been reduced to 80km/h and I don’t think that’s been a hard sell for the state, and we don’t see it as any detrimental change to the road users.”

A standard 80km/h limit would operate in both directions from the city at Power St to the Melrose Drive exit just 5.5km from the entry to Melbourne Airport.

Construction works to widen CityLink and the Tullamarine Freeway will start in October.

Sections of the road undergoing the $1.3 billion works will have lowered speed limits (80km/h) with a permanent 80km/h reduction coming into place when the project is complete in early 2018.

VicRoads director of the CityLink Tulla Widening Project, Andrew Williams, said the speed reduction was “due to the removal of the emergency lanes”.

Extra lanes will be created by removing emergency stopping lanes and reducing existing lane widths by 15cm (to 3.35m).

Mr Williams said overall travel times would still be quicker with the reduced speed limit because of the added lanes.

“Most drivers will experience improved travel times even though the speed limit is being lowered to 80km/h,” he said.

He said the speed cut would be only minutes slower than retaining the 100km/h limit on the new wider road.

“A journey along the 24km section of upgraded freeway would take less than three minutes more at 80km/h, about the time it takes to make a cup of tea,” he said.

Mr Clements, who flagged the change in his speech at the Intelligent Transport Systems Australia Summit in Melbourne, said the speed reduction would give “better efficiency of operation”.

CityLink and the Tullamarine Freeway will get 24km of widened road from the airport to Southbank’s Domain Tunnel.

But almost 80 per cent of the upgraded freeway will be set at 80km/h, between Power St and Melrose Drive.

Once the permanent cut is in the speed limit will remain at 100kph between Melrose Drive and Melbourne Airport.

The CityLink-Tullamarine corridor carries 210,000 vehicles a day — more than the West Gate Bridge.

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