Peninsula Link

Peninsula Link
Victoria
General information
Type Freeway
Length 25 km (16 mi)
Opened 2013
Route number(s)
  • M11 (2013-present)
  • Entire Route
Major junctions
North end
 

for full list see exits and interchanges

South end
Location(s)
Major suburbs / towns Baxter, Moorooduc
Highway system
Highways in Australia
National Highway • Freeways in Australia
Highways in Victoria
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Peninsula Link (Frankston Bypass) is a freeway that completes the missing sections of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, running from the EastLink interchange at Seaford, Melbourne, running along the eastern fringe of Frankston. It runs via Baxter and Moorooduc, almost parallel to the existing arterial Moorooduc Highway. It was opened on 18 January 2013.

Driving northbound on Peninsula Link before the Frankston-Dandenong Rd Exit
Art Installation "Panorama Station" by Louise Paramor, sitting atop the Peninsula Link / EastLink Overpass

The project is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) managed by the Linking Melbourne Authority (formerly SEITA) and delivered by private sector partner Southern Way, with the State Government providing quarterly payments for delivery under an availability model,[1] with no charges to motorists. The contract with Southern Way to design, construct and finance the freeway was signed in January 2010, with a total project delivery cost for the two parties being $759 million.[2] Construction commenced in February 2010, with completion expected in early 2013,[1] with Southern Way to operate and maintain the freeway for the next 25 years.[2] The Victorian Parliament enacted legislation, the Road Management Amendment (Peninsula Link) Act 2012 in November 2012 to confer rights on the private operator to manage and maintain the road.[3]

The Peninsula Link control room is located on Golf Links Rd, just off the freeway. Operated by Lend Lease.

History

Early planning

The freeway has been proposed numerous times over the years, appearing in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan. The Mornington Peninsula Freeway was progressively opened at each end by the 1980s, with the Frankston Freeway also opened running south from Seaford into Frankston itself. The contract for the construction of the EastLink Tollway north from Seaford was signed in 2004,[4] with construction starting the following year.

In early 2006 operator of EastLink, ConnectEast, offered to build the bypass by June 2009, but was rejected by the state government.[5] The government would be required to contribute $100 million to the project, which would also have been funded through a 1c-2c increase in tolls. ConnectEast also wanted the EastLink concession period extended from 39 to 49 years.[6] A leaked report sent by VicRoads to the City of Frankston in 2006 and obtained by the State Opposition in 2008 showed the cost of building the Frankston bypass was $240 million.[7]

In October 2006 $6.5 million was allocated by the Bracks Government towards extra ramps at the Frankston end of EastLink to cater for a future bypass. Recommended by the Southern and Eastern Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA), the Transport Minister said that "no decision has been made about the requirement for a bypass of Frankston".[8] For the 2006 State Election Liberal opposition leader Ted Baillieu promised $250 million to build a 22 kilometre long road toll free. Peter Batchelor responded that the costing did not add up, with smaller projects costing more.[9]

Also in October 2006 then Transport Minister Peter Batchelor announced that an Environment Effects Statement would be carried out by SEITA for the bypass, and $20 million would be spent on changes to the Cranbourne-Frankston Road and Moorooduc Road intersection.[10] Work on the EES started in March 2007 at a cost of $5 million.[11]

Post EastLink

The opening of EastLink and the interchange with the northern section of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway in 2008 led to speculation of congestion on the Frankston Freeway, especially at the southern terminus at McMahons Road on the Moorooduc Highway. VicRoads however did not publicly anticipate such congestion would actually occur, with Federal MP Bruce Billson raising this issue in the local press and in parliament.[12] The Victorian Transport Minister Peter Batchelor has stated that simply because the freeway's projected path appears on a map (referring to the route shown in the Melway), that this does not mean that the road is intended to, or will ever actually be built. City of Frankston councillors however, along with Mr. Billson, are pushing for the bypass to be built.

On 28 October 2007 the Federal Liberal Party pledged a maximum of $150 million towards constructing the road toll free if elected, to be matched by Victorian Government.[12] They were defeated at the election. In April 2008 the Southern and Eastern Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA) decided that the preferred option for a Frankston Bypass was a high standard, continuous, duplicated road in the existing road reserve from Carrum Downs to Mount Martha. A group of Moorooduc residents claimed they were not consulted in the first phase of the project, and the figures had been skewed to show public support for the selected preferred option.[13]

The report said:

Traffic on the Moorooduc Highway through Frankston is expected to increase from 45,000 vehicles per day to around 60,000 vehicles per day in 2031....it would take 75 minutes to travel between the southern end of Eastlink and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Mount Martha during peak periods in 2031. A high standard, continuous, duplicated road from the southern end of Eastlink to the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Mount Martha would reduce travel time in 2031 to around 20 minutes. These projected traffic conditions would arise, even with planned upgrades to roads such as the widening of Western Port Highway. 84% of people who provided feedback during Phase 1 supported a bypass.

The Frankston Bypass would be a 25 km freeway standard road with two lanes in each direction with a speed limit of 100 km/h. A full grade separated junction would be provided with EastLink and the Frankston Freeway, along with full grade separated diamond interchanges at Dandenong-Frankston Road, Cranbourne-Frankston Road, Golf Links Road, Frankston-Flinders Road, Bungower Road and Old Moorooduc Road / Mornington Peninsula Freeway. Interchanges at Skye Road and Mornington-Tyabb Road will have half diamond grade separated with northbound entry, southbound exit ramps. The cost was estimated between $500 million to $750 million.

In September 2008 ConnectEast held talks with Roads Minister Tim Pallas, but the State Government refused to discuss the issue with the media, or promise to build it without tolls.[6] On 16 October 2008 State Premier John Brumby announced the bypass would be built. Costing $700 million and now 27 kilometres long, work would start by the end of 2009. The State Government expected the project would be paid for in partnership with the Federal Government,[14] and confirmed that it would be toll free.[15]

Public Private Partnership

Throughout 2008 and early 2009 the State Government examined a number of Public Private Partnership (PPP) models for the delivery of the project, selecting the Partnerships Victoria 'Availability' model, where the private sector company designs, builds, finances and operates the project for an agreed period of time, with the State Government making regular payments to the company based on performance against a set of key performance indicators, which avoided any charges being imposed on road users.[1]

An invitation for Expressions of Interest was issued in March 2009 followed by a Request for Proposals, with two bidders short listed by November 2009. Final bids were received a month later, with the Southern Way consortium (made up of construction companies Abigroup and Bilfinger Berger, along with financier Royal Bank of Scotland) being awarded the contract to design, build and operate the freeway on 20 January 2010.[1]

Under the Public Private Partnership, the consortium is required to operate and maintain the freeway for a 25-year period, with the government making quarterly service payments to Southern Way once the freeway has been certified as completed in accordance with the Project Deed.[1]

These payments are adjusted on an availability basis, with reductions being made when each half-hour of unavailability, weighted according to the nature and severity of the unavailability. Failure to meet key performance indicators for emergency contact points, incident response, compliance with operational plans, maintenance inspections and works, reporting and environmental management will also results in the government deductions being applied to the service payments.[1]

The delivery cost of the project is $759 million: made up of Southern Way's construction costs, along with the Linking Melbourne Authority's land acquisition, project management, environmental effects statement and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act costs.[1]

Exits and interchanges

LGALocationkmmiExitDestinationsNotes
FrankstonCarrum Downs00.09 EastLink (M3) north-east / Mornington Peninsula Freeway (M11) north-west –Melbourne, Springvale, Melbourne AirportNorthern terminus: continues as Mornington Peninsula Freeway; northbound exit to and southbound entrance from M3
Carrum Downs–Seaford boundary21.211 Frankston–Dandenong Road (State Route 9) – Frankston, Dandenong
Frankston–Langwarrin boundary63.712Skye Road – Langwarrin, FrankstonSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
85.013 Cranbourne–Frankston Road (State Route 4) – Frankston, Cranbourne
Frankston–Mornington Peninsula boundaryLangwarrin South–Frankston South–Baxter tripoint106.214Golf Links Road – Frankston, BaxterMerges into the Baxter-Tooradin Road at Baxter then continuing eastbound through Pearcedale to Tooradin
Mornington PeninsulaBaxter127.515 Frankston–Flinders Road (C777) – Frankston, Hastings
Moorooduc181117Bungower Road – Mornington, Somerville
201218 Mornington–Tyabb Road (C782) – Tyabb, MorningtonSouthbound exit and northbound entry
Moorooduc–Tuerong–Mount Martha tripoint251619 Mornington Peninsula Freeway (M11) / Moorooduc Highway (C784) – Portsea, Balnarring, MorningtonSouthern terminus: continues as Mornington Peninsula Freeway

See also

Australian Roads portal

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Partnerships Victoria (2012). "Partnerships Victoria: Peninsula Link". partnerships.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  2. 1 2 Partnerships Victoria (2012). "Peninsula Link project: Project Summary" (PDF). partnerships.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  3. ↑ See www.legislation.vic.gov.au.
  4. ↑ Malcolm Maiden (15 October 2004). "Blood, sweat and fears - before a sod has been turned". The Age. www.theage.com.au. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  5. ↑ JASON GILLICK (2008-09-16). "Watch for backflip on tolls, MP says". Frankston Independent. frankston.yourguide.com.au. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  6. 1 2 Ashley Gardiner (15 September 2008). "$750m bypass talks to pave way for fresh fees". Herald Sun. www.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  7. ↑ Clay Lucas and Jason Dowling (18 October 2008). "RACV pushes for link". The Age. www.theage.com.au. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  8. ↑ "EASTLINK TO MAKE PROVISION FOR FUTURE FRANKSTON TRANSPORT NETWORK". Media Release: MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT. www.legislation.vic.gov.au. 3 October 2006. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  9. ↑ Farrah Tomazin (18 October 2006). "Baillieu in $250m Frankston bypass pledge". The Age. www.theage.com.au. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  10. ↑ "THE RIGHT CHOICES FOR FRANKSTON". Media Release: MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT. www.legislation.vic.gov.au. 30 October 2006. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  11. ↑ "WORK TO START ON EES FOR POSSIBLE FRANKSTON BYPASS". Media Release: MINISTER FOR ROADS AND PORTS. www.legislation.vic.gov.au. 13 March 2007. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  12. 1 2 "Frankston bypass funding announcement". Transcript - Interview with The Hon Bruce Billson MP Member for Dunkley. www.treasurer.gov.au. 28 October 2007. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  13. ↑ JO WINTERBOTTOM (10 June 2008). "Bypass opposition 'given gloss over'". Frankston Independent. frankston.yourguide.com.au. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  14. ↑ "No toll on Frankston bypass: Brumby". ABC News. www.abc.net.au. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  15. ↑ John Ferguson (16 October 2008). "Super loop Frankston bypass to be toll free". Herald Sun. www.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 18 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
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