A high-speed and grade-separated corridor for vehicular movement functions between cities and towns.
Eastern Distributor, Moore Park
Bradfield Highway, North Sydney
Inner metropolitan motorways connect strategically important centres within Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. At a network level, they enable people to travel longer distances quickly, reliably and with fewer stops. As such, they are high-speed environments that may be grade-separated from other streets. These routes are designed to carry high volumes of through-movement with widely spaced interchanges.
Motorways located in inner urban areas typically have built‑up neighbouring land uses. With their primary purpose being to move high volumes of traffic, these roads are typically characterised by carriageways that are hard to cross when located at surface level. To avoid severance, they are often situated partially or wholly in tunnels, slots or viaducts. People walking at surface level need safe, regular and comfortable means to facilitate crossing and connectivity.
Drivers often value travel time highly and are sensitive to delays caused by congestion, less-efficient manoeuvring and emergencies. Good motorway design should provide a sense of reassurance to drivers through clear delineation, wayfinding and responsive speed limits. These environments need clear, legible signage.
Motorway – urban section.
Motorway – urban plan
Newcastle Inner City Bypass, Windale
Motorways situated at the edges of metropolitan areas usually carry people and freight moving to and from destinations separated by long distances. They are designed to carry large volumes of people and goods by a variety of modes, which may include walking, cycling and public transport. They may also connect the inner metropolitan motorway network with mass transit modes. These roads are often primary freight routes, providing essential access to commercial and industrial areas that are often strategically located nearby.
These motorways are often located in corridors identified as part of a strategic land-use planning exercise. This allows them to be separated from adjacent land uses. Coupled with not being permitted to contain trunk utilities, this separation often results in them being located in wide reserves, and allows their design to take advantage of surrounding views and include existing and new vegetation. The design of these roads can provide an engaging connection with the character of the surrounding landscape.
They are also well placed to incorporate continuous active transport facilities, allowing people walking and cycling to travel long distances easily, as long as these modes a
Motorway – peri-urban plan
Motorway – peri-urban section.