RTA Annual Report 2009 Complete - RTA - NSW Government

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
Transport
The RTA manages the road transport
system to provide reliable and effi cient
movement of people and goods
Development
Project delivery
During the year, the RTA managed the planning and
construction of 82 major projects with a total expenditure of
almost $1.8 billion and opened 10 of those projects to traffi c.
Appendix 1 contains details of progress on all major projects.
Motorways
M5 East fi ltration plant trial
In April 2008, construction began on a $65 million trial fi ltration
plant to remove particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide from
air extracted from the western end of the M5 East westbound
tunnel. The plant is due to be completed in late 2009, with the
trial to begin in early 2010.
The NSW road transport system
The transport system is crucial to the prosperity
and well-being of the NSW community. The
RTA’s role is to develop the road network
to meet the needs of a growing population,
including day-to-day transport requirements of
individuals, and the growing freight task. In this
role, the RTA manages a major program of new
road and bridge works, from the inner suburbs of
Sydney to the far corners of the State.
The RTA also promotes alternatives to motor
vehicle travel – such as public transport,
cycling and walking – through the provision of
infrastructure and a range of innovative programs
to encourage sustainable methods of transport.
Another key RTA role is the management
of traffi c on the road system. The RTA leads
the world in technology to promote effi cient
traffi c movement. The RTA also takes the lead
in managing traffi c during major events – both
planned and unplanned.
When completed, the plant will be capable of continuously
drawing 200m 3 of air per second from the westbound tunnel,
removing particulate matter from this air, removing nitrogen
dioxide from 50m 3 of the same air and then returning the
treated air to the westbound tunnel.
Following an operational trial of the plant that is planned to
take up to 18 months, the RTA will assess the effi ciency of
the fi ltration systems and the plant’s effectiveness in reducing
visible haze in the westbound tunnel.
M2 Motorway upgrade
A proposal was received from Transurban, concession
holder of The Hills M2 Motorway, to enhance and widen the
motorway. The concept design has now been completed. The
proposal includes widening sections of the motorway from
two to three lanes in each direction, construction of new
west facing ramps at Windsor Road and east facing ramps
near Herring Road, Macquarie Park.
The M2 Motorway is one of Sydney’s busiest road corridors,
providing an important link in the Sydney Orbital between
the M7 and Lane Cove Tunnel and carrying around 110,000
vehicles and 45,000 bus passengers a day.
Upgrading the M2 Motorway would relieve congestion and
prepare for additional growth, with 140,000 new homes and
100,000 new jobs planned for Sydney’s north-west over the
next 25 years.
The RTA is negotiating with Transurban to construct the
upgrade under an agreement that would be value for money
for the people of NSW.
Section cover image: Installation of a moveable median on the
Sydney Harbour Bridge southern approach, September 2005.
Photo taken by RTA photographer Geoff Ward.