(NSW) M4 Smart Motorway project

[Jason Kumar]

Hi guys,

If anyones interested, I believe they recently loaded more info including proposed interchange maps for the M4 smart managed motorway project.

http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-west/m4/project-documents.html#Interchangemaps-proposedchangesto12interchanges

Jason.

[Brendan Terrett]

Hopefully they'll be fitting red light cameras and truck lane cameras to stop people from queue jumping at the ramp meters, especially with those truck bypass lanes. 

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[Nihat]

that would be a good idea. do they have those in melbourne where ramp signalling is prominent? if not do a lot of motorists do it?

[Henry Ung]

I'm not sure about having ramp metering for the M7 interchange, particularly when it is meant to be a free-flowing between two motorways.

[Sam Laybutt]

It's going to be pretty tough to resist the urge to use the truck bypass lane westbound at the M7 on-ramp...

I agree it seems a bit odd as the traffic doesn't arrive in platoons like it does from the signalised entry points. 

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Date: Wed, 4 May 2016 21:00:25 +1000
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] (NSW) M4 Smart Motorway project
From: vendet...@gmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

[Brendan Terrett]

It does make sense, though - if they want to limit the number of cars entering the M4 to a level where merging can be achieved without interrupting the flow of traffic, they'd need to put traffic signals on the M7 ramps as well. A constant stream of heavy traffic piling onto the M4 ramps from the M7 makes merging extremely difficult.

[Paul Rands]

Good to see the Prospect Hwy roundabouts disappearing.

Not sure I like the signals coming off the M7.

Paul Rands
li...@paulrands.com

[Peter Freeman]

In Melbourne's large-scale implementation of ramp metering there are many truck bypass lanes. Some are also HOV bypass lanes (T2, etc). There is only a little abuse, and, as far as I have observed, no enforcement.

Melbourne's next expansion of managed motorways will include ramp metering on motorway-to-motorway intersections: M3 southbound to M1 eastbound, and perhaps M3 northbound to M1 westbound. Like Henry, I have grave reservations about this (as I do, to some degree, still have on the strategy in general). The planning documents for Melbourne's M1 enhancements insist that if all other on-ramps are metered, then the ones from M3 must also be. Because (as pointed out above) the traffic is not platooned there, it seems likely to simply shift the queue upstream,  from the M1 merge to the M3 exit. Such a development would not be an improvement, since traffic queuing on a motorway mainline is even worse than breakdown at a merge. Actually, I wonder if it is a sneaky introduction of 'demand management' - discouraging exit by sight of the queue? More toll revenue for Eastlink?!

It will be interesting to see (in less than two years from now) how it works out.

[Albert Alcoceba]

I notice there is no mention of the Kent Road ramps currently under construction.

[Paul Rands]

I noticed this too.

Paul Rands
li...@paulrands.com

[davis]

In the REF for the Werrington Arterial, the location of the ramp meter is identified, though the ramp design is non-conforming with the others (eg no storage slip lanes)

[Jason Kumar]

Stage 1 is under construction now with an 80km/h speed zone between the M7 and Roper Road and barriers in the median strip (for part of the way).

Jason.

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[Leo Giusti]

Stage one is now fully under construction along the mainline M4 with the 80 zone extended to Reservoir Road.

[Leo Giusti]

Traffic signals are set to be installed at motorway on-ramps across Sydney over the coming years to stagger the flow of vehicles onto major thoroughfares and to reduce bottlenecks.

As part of a $600 million project, a trial of the first quick-change traffic lights will begin next week at the Reservoir Road on-ramp to the M4 motorway at Blacktown.

The on-ramp lights are designed to improve traffic flow along the M4 motorway.

And, by next year, traffic lights on on-ramps to the M4 between Mays Hill and Penrith, and signals on overhead gantries over the motorway, are expected to be switched on.

The technology is similar to that used on motorways in Melbourne and Auckland.

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NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the "significant roll-out" of the technology on the M4 was about ensuring less stop-start traffic and sudden braking at hot spots along the motorway.

The lights are designed to stagger the flow of vehicles onto motorways such as the M4.

"We have all seen people move onto a motorway, and merge onto a right-hand lane and that can have an impact in terms of the speed and flow of the motorway," he said.

Motorists will see a sign near an on-ramp, alerting them to traffic signals ahead. If they are on, motorists will need to stop, and wait for a green light. One vehicle will be allowed onto the motorway at a time to allow distance between vehicles and help prevent a traffic snarl.

Mr Constance said he would like to see the technology rolled out across all of Sydney's motorways over the coming years because it would reduce congestion, an impediment to economic growth.


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Roads authorities are considering installing the technology on the M1 motorway between Gosford and Sydney, before progressively rolling it out elsewhere.

"At the moment, the M1 experience is terrible in terms of the way in which we see convergence of people onto the motorway. The M4 is obviously a hot spot," Mr Constance said. "[The technology] is getting more out of our motorways."

Transport for NSW executive director John Hardwick said the traffic signal would "pulse" motorists onto the motorway to ensure a "smooth transition" and ensure a constant flow of traffic on the M4.

"It certainly improves the travel time but also the safety. It stops the congestion that occurs on the motorway where you get a clumping of traffic," he said.

[Jason Kumar]

Anyone know when the M4 smart motorway is opening btw? Seems pretty much done from my drive last week (well not sure about west of Mamre Rd). Can they not at least activate the variable speed limit signs?

Jason

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[Brendan Terrett]

They've been done for at least 6 months now. They just left the "if variable speed limit signs are blacked out - 110" half covered and called it a day for some reason. 

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[Leo Giusti]

I've been wondering the same thing. There is a VMS gantry east of A9 without the VMS but other than that, I would have thought they could turn that section on. The only other recent development with the project was the removal of the painted "median" strip at the end of the Roper Road on ramp. That ramp now flows straight into the extra lane they built.

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[arnhemhwya36 (formerly stuarthwy87)]

they're still working near the A9 junction, otherwise, its all done

[Leo Giusti]

There are End Variable Speed Limit Zone signs east of the A9 interchange heading west. I read that final testing is being done with trials for the end of the year.

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[Nihat]

According to livetraffic trial starting October 19

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[Jason Kumar]

Drove westbound yesterday (19/10) and eastbound today (20/10) and there was no trial happening, all signs are still turned off. Looks like the trial is delayed.

Jason.

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[Leo Giusti]

Jason,

That looks to be the case annoyingly with all the warnings on LiveTraffic still saying yesterday. The only thing that has disappeared is the VMS messages on the M4.

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[kakaduhwy21]

Its one month now, are they going to activate the Variable Speed limits. Still some work in the A9 junction.

[doratroad23 (formerly kakaduhwy21)]

has anyone been on the Western Motorway near Penrith recently? I want to know what is happening at the A9 junction.

Thanks!

[Brendan Terrett]

Electronic message signs on the M4 are now saying that variable speed limits will be implemented from 5am on Monday morning. Finally!

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[Jason Kumar]

Awesome! Live traffic says:

From Mon 23 Nov, integrated speed and lane use signs will be trialled in both directions on the M4.

Overhead electronic speed and lane management signs will be activated and electronic post-mounted speed signs will also be located on entry ramps to assist in the safer management of traffic flow, incidents and worksites.

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[doratroad23 (formerly kakaduhwy21)]

nice, so the work at the A9 junction has finished. I'd really want to go to Penrith now to see what its like. Though we do have to say goodbye to being traffic lights free from Campbelltown to Haberfield.

[Leo Giusti]

Work on the A9 interchange is far from finished. The new gantries have been switched on as of this morning even the ones west of the A9 which I think is a bit dangerous. One of the gantries is just past the 80 ahead sign before the A9 interchange works and it was displaying 110. The ramp metering signage on the Mamre Road ramps all looked covered up.

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[Leo Giusti]

The Mamre Road ramp meter signals for the westbound ramp were turned on today. I had a van next to me run the red ramp meter. Otherwise they seemed to improve the flow.

[Vincent]

I've been wondering how well the ramp signals have been working. I lived in Melbourne a few years ago and people seemed to follow the signals for the most part, but I didn't know how well Sydneysiders would adapt to the rollout. Sounds like it's going fairly well though!

[Phillip McCallum]

 

If you want to see a bad application of ramp signals, have a look at the Goodna on-ramp to the Ipswich Motorway!  The signals seems to flash haplessly through red and green every few seconds irrespective of traffic volumes on the Motorway, and they are routinely ignored by the confused drivers.  You drive up to the manically changing lights, go through on what you think was a green, and then rejoin the queue of vehicles on the other side waiting to merge.  Waste of time! 

 

 

Phillip

 

 

From: aussie-...@googlegroups.com <aussie-...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Vincent
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Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] (NSW) M4 Smart Motorway project

 

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[Lachlan Sims]

Interestingly several M4 ramps were metered with signals once before (back in the 1990s) - Wallgrove Road and Cumberland Highway from memory.  As to how well they worked then I don't know - or why they were removed/decommissioned.  The only other ramp meter in NSW is on the City West Link inbound connection with Victoria Road on the approach to the Anzac Bridge (see GSV below) - I've never seen this operating.

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[davis]

The ramp meter pre-dates the Anzac Bridge, but it definitely got peak hour use beyond that. I don't think it's been in use since the lanes were reconfigured to a zip merge with Victoria Rd

[Jason Kumar]

I'm assuming it's gone now, especially given that on-ramp has now moved from where it used to be.

Jason

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[Sam Laybutt]

I seem to recall Kingsgrove Rd and Bexley Rd off-ramps on the M5 East had ramp metering at one point too??

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Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] (NSW) M4 Smart Motorway project

[Leo Giusti]

The M4 had less traffic than yesterday at Mamre Rd so the signals were off. It felt worse than yesterday. The real thing the M4 between Mamre and Kent Rds is something to split the on ramp traffic from the off ramp traffic and this is for both directions.

Another thing to note is that there are no fixed speed limit signs on the mainline after the final westbound LUMS gantry until you get to just under Russell Street. I have had a couple of days where the last westbound gantry was set to 80. Does an End Variable Speed Limit Zone sign mean to return to the default speed limit or the if blanked out speed limit?

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[Brendan Terrett]

I believe they're a permanent fixture, still used in the morning.

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[Peter Freeman]

" Kingsgrove Rd and Bexley Rd off-ramps "  - you do mean ON-ramps ?

[Sam Laybutt]

Haha, yes that's more accurate. And now that I think about it, it might have just been the Kingsgrove Road city-bound on-ramp. 

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Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] (NSW) M4 Smart Motorway project

" Kingsgrove Rd and Bexley Rd off-ramps "  - you do mean ON-ramps ?

On Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 6:28:26 PM UTC+11 crazyknightsfan wrote:

I seem to recall Kingsgrove Rd and Bexley Rd off-ramps on the M5 East had ramp metering at one point too??

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Sent: Thursday, 10 December 2020 12:19 PM
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Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] (NSW) M4 Smart Motorway project

Interestingly several M4 ramps were metered with signals once before (back in the 1990s) - Wallgrove Road and Cumberland Highway from memory.  As to how well they worked then I don't know - or why they were removed/decommissioned.  The only other ramp meter in NSW is on the City West Link inbound connection with Victoria Road on the approach to the Anzac Bridge (see GSV below) - I've never seen this operating.

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[Leo Giusti]

The LUMS gantries around The Northern Road have been turned on marking the end of the long standing roadworks zone on the M4. The ramp metre signals were still covered when I went through this morning.

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[Henry Ung]

That's great! I last drove past there on Monday 21st of June 2021.

So the roadworks would have ended within the past week and a half.

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[Vincent Muller]

Glad to hear! That roadworks zone on the M4 was a real bugaboo of mine whenever I had to drive into Sydney. I think it was there for the best part of 3 years, going by the Streetview imagery?

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[Nihat]

For all the work they did they did not add lane directional signage on the overhead gantries for upcoming exits. I find this to be so much easier for navigation 

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[#130km/hforthehume]

After more than a year, the ramp meters on the Church St onramp have finally been activated (they were covered up for over a year for some apparent reason which I'm not sure of).