ETX:First Australian rebuild for ETX

But the M5 has bad backups and will get a heap more traffic when the state opens the M5/East, a tunnelway connection from the eastern end of the toll road to Sydney airport. So during 2001 the Interlink Group (Macquarie Infrastructure is its largest shareholder) will be introducing electronic toll transponders [5.8GHz CEN standard] and full open-road highway speed toll collection (ETX).

ET is also being introduced on the state’s c180k veh/day Sydney Harbor Bridge/Tunnel and on the abutting Macquarie group’s Eastern Distributor toll road. The M2 and M4 investor-owned toll roads are expected to follow within a year. But most of these will be lane-constrained roll-through applications, not ETX.

The M5 will progress from single ETX with 4 cash/EZi lanes each side to 2x3 ETX lanes with 3 cash/EZi lanes on either side. By eliminating the 1.8m (6') islands and toll booths they can squeeze an extra toll lane in with the transition to ETX. The lanes are striped to 3.5m (11’6"). The ‘100’ markings on the roadway signify the 100km/hr (62mph) speed limit.

e-GO

‘e-GO’ is the tentative signage logo for ETX, the ‘e’ signifying electronic, and ‘GO’ suggesting speed. The M5 will be adding a lane each direction to its travel lanes shortly to take them to 2x3-lanes. But it still suffers backups from just beyond its franchise area at the western end where the state’s abutting freeway called the Southwest Motorway has an anomalous signalized intersection with Moorebank Av. The toll road will probably be forced to share the costs of a desperately needed grade-separation and interchange there, perhaps in exchange for some tolls there or further on?

John Gardiner head of Interlink and one of his engineering consultants traveled to the US earlier in 2000 to see examples of ETX conversions and talk to toll superintendents and managers about practical problems. He says it was a “valuable trip” in planning their big upgrade. TransCore Australia is in charge of the system work. (Contact John Gardiner Interlink 61 2 9820 0071)