26 Speed Cameras in the Brisbane Airport Link Tunnel !!!!!!!!!

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THE operators of Brisbane Airport Link have gone out of their way to avoid the mistakes made by RiverCity Motorway in an effort to attract motorists who have shunned the Clem7, tipping the company into receivership.

From the number of speed signs to the top-of-the-range broadcast and sprinkler systems, BrisConnections chief executive Ray Wilson is confident everything has been thought of to give Airportlink the best chance of success.

A Sunday night-Monday morning opening is now expected as the final touches are made to the $4.8 billion project the biggest of its kind in Australia.

Dr Wilson said it was a "technological marvel" and promised it would be it easier to negotiate than the Clem7.

"The really big learning we've taken from Clem is signage around the entries and exits and so forth," he said.

"You'll see around our tunnel, not only have we got the road patches that help people, our signage is much more effective in terms of sending you to the right location."


RESULTS: NEW TUNNEL
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Will you use the Airportlink tunnel?
Every day
6.57% (55 votes)
Every week
6.93% (58 votes)
Occasionally
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Not at all
21.51% (180 votes)
Only until they start charging
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Total votes: 837



Despite the presence of as many as 26 fixed-speed cameras in Airportlink, Dr Wilson said motorists would always be aware of the speed limit.

He said unlike the Clem7, which has only a few speed signs from start to finish resulting in a flood of fines for users, variable speed signs were located every 120m in Airportlink.

"Speed cameras are there for safety and safety only," Dr Wilson said. "They're there in accordance with the protocols police have."My translation..revenue raising.

Once opened, the tunnel is expected to make a significant difference to traffic volumes on roads such as Lutwyche and Bowen Bridge roads and O'Connell Tce.

However, other roads where traffic enters or exits the tunnel are forecast to experience increased congestion.

These include Stafford and Gympie roads, Brookes St and the East West Arterial.

Dr Wilson said time savings for users would amount to "tens of billions of dollars" over the next 40 years.

"This project will reduce people's waste time, vehicle operating costs and so on."

Independent assessments of travel times through Airportlink have found motorists could save as much as 16 minutes on the trip from Bowen Hills to Toombul, reducing the journey from 21 minutes to only five.

Even residents who have been severely inconvenienced by the nearly four-year construction program were yesterday keen to drive through.

Brian Nally, from the Kalinga-Wooloowin Residents Association, said he was looking forward to the benefits the infrastructure would bring to Brisbane's northside.

"I hope they get the take-up they're expecting," Mr Nally said. "I'll be disappointed if the community has endured all this pain if there's no substantial benefit."

The Airportlink is toll free for three months, then discounted for 12 months.
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