Contra lane on F3 still needs work.

deesun · 30-03-2011, 02:30 PM

Another thread prompted me to post this one. Last Saturday at 330am a truck travelling south towards Sydney at near the top of the hill after Ourimbah lost a 45ft concrete pilon. We were travelling north at approx 11am. From before we entered the F3 at Waroongah the overhead signs said long delays, during the next half hour or so heading towards the area we were checking iphone for alternate routes but we decided to continue. We were held up for about an hour and a half in a 7km traffic jam. No probs there, our fault, but when we were in that jam the news reports were saying our side was 7km long and only 100mtrs on the crash side WTF? When we got to where the lanes were changed we found no traffic on our side comming from the other side, our side reduced from 3 to 1 lane. Whilst in the jam I also noticed the southbound traffic was seemingly flowing quite well. Why was our side reduced to 1 lane? Why were we being penalised so much when we could have been given 2 lanes of 3 not 1. Why had our side been allowed to bank up for 7k when little or no hold up on the other side? The radio reports from the helicopters above were all saying less than 1k southbound and 7k northbound during that hour and a half. I have travelled the F3 many times and have found that when the signs say long delays or expect delays that this isnt always the case. Nowadays they give travel times for sections of the freeway so why can't they say approx how long the delay is. It's obvious the contra lane system still needs work.

Fev · 30-03-2011, 03:24 PM

I had to drive up to Copa to a friends place at about 4:00pm. The signs and warnings were still in place, the radio still reporting delays and so i chose to go on the old Pac highway up. Ended up jumping back onto the F3 at Brooklyn seeing numerous signs saying long delays and avoid the F3. Did not see an inch of banked up traffic the entire way. Would have saved 15min drive if the signs had said where the traffic was supposed to bloody start.

Basically the answer to your question is they are bloody hopeless at dealing with F3 accidents.

sneaky · 30-03-2011, 06:15 PM

i went past the truck incident at about 6am heading south and saw all the cops/towies/truck people standing around looking at it..

the i headed north (home from work) at about 3pm and heard about the looong traffic jams because of an acco, i didn't think it could still be the same truck causing the problems 8 hours later.. then i heard the rta had a 'specialist' crane on it's way to the truck - really it takes 8 hours for some genious to realise they will need a crane to lift the truck and actually call one!!

once again there needs to be some butt kicking for all the bureaucrats involved in the process of controlling traffic on the F3, but i guess nothing will happen and next accident will see huge lines of traffic again..

The G6ET Spot · 30-03-2011, 06:30 PM

The biggest problem for them would have been getting hold of the crane large enough to lift the beam.

Takes quite a large crane to lift 45 tonne

Keepleft · 30-03-2011, 07:39 PM

UHF.

Plus check those cameras periodically.

351EL · 31-03-2011, 12:08 AM

You poor thing.
I wish we had roads wide enough that we could fit 2 trucks going in different directions side by side with out going on the dirt.

burnz · 31-03-2011, 12:25 AM

the irony is the traffic flowed perfectly in both direction until the RTA got involed.

deesun · 31-03-2011, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keepleft

UHF. Plus check those cameras periodically.

I guess you are sugesting I buy a UHF set to keep up to date with traffic incidents. Sorry i have no idea what you mean about the cameras. RTA spend millions for signage and manpower and other tech yet I am supposed to buy a UHF set? Sorry KL I don't agree. I do see they would have trouble getting the correct crane as this is specialist equipment but to know that one side of the road is banked up 7k and the other less than1 only takes a pair of eyes. Oh and a care factor, of which they have none, same as brains.

deesun · 31-03-2011, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 351EL

You poor thing.
I wish we had roads wide enough that we could fit 2 trucks going in different directions side by side with out going on the dirt.

1. You probably would have if your roads carried as much traffic as the F3 through the central coast. 2. I didn't think there was any reason to make such a smart ar__d comment.