Comments on: The state of the Midland Highway http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/ Some day we will sleep... Wed, 23 May 2012 11:37:03 +0000 hourly 1 By: Hyphen Mama http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-25245 Hyphen Mama Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:32:15 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-25245 This must be a world-over problem that nobody really seems to care about. My guess is that it's a guaranteed source of income for the contractors who continually build roads badly and the government continually doles out money from the collective budget for it, with disregard of the kind of work being done, and why would they care if they aren't driving those roads. My city likes to tear out perfectly good streets and sidewalks and replace them... a few meters here and there, but never really works on the HUGE problem areas. Currently, in the worst economic downturn in 70 years, my city is replacing stop lights with flashing arrows... and nobody knows what to do with flashing arrows because we've never SEEN them before. Do I go? Do I stop? WHAT DO I DO??? Excellent spending of money. The biggest concern is who will be the one who dies because the drivers had no idea what to do at that intersection. This must be a world-over problem that nobody really seems to care about. My guess is that it’s a guaranteed source of income for the contractors who continually build roads badly and the government continually doles out money from the collective budget for it, with disregard of the kind of work being done, and why would they care if they aren’t driving those roads. My city likes to tear out perfectly good streets and sidewalks and replace them… a few meters here and there, but never really works on the HUGE problem areas. Currently, in the worst economic downturn in 70 years, my city is replacing stop lights with flashing arrows… and nobody knows what to do with flashing arrows because we’ve never SEEN them before. Do I go? Do I stop? WHAT DO I DO??? Excellent spending of money. The biggest concern is who will be the one who dies because the drivers had no idea what to do at that intersection.

]]> By: Twitter and Tasmanian Politics and I was blocked for the very first time. | Sleepless Nights http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-25223 Twitter and Tasmanian Politics and I was blocked for the very first time. | Sleepless Nights Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:59:01 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-25223 [...] to be fair, I have disagreed with him. The state of the midland highway is atrocious and I wanted him to answer me as to why it was left looking unfinished. I heard [...] [...] to be fair, I have disagreed with him. The state of the midland highway is atrocious and I wanted him to answer me as to why it was left looking unfinished. I heard [...]

]]> By: Veronica http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-23149 Veronica Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:51:01 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-23149 Jane, you've nailed it exactly. Jane, you’ve nailed it exactly.

]]> By: Jane http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-23143 Jane Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:31:39 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-23143 Now safely back in the UK I can revisit these pictures of so-called 'highways' in Tasmania with a mixture of horror and disbelief. Horror because I know they are really as bad as they look in the pictures and disbelief because it is only a miracle that more people aren't killed on them. When I lived there one of my first experiences was of major pot-holes on the East Tamar Highway. There is a section just after the Rocherlea turn off that always washes out in the rain. Worst thing about it is that its position on the hill means unless you remember it you cannot see it until too late. I watched a P plater wreck his suspension on it one wet afternoon - he wasn't going too fast just didn't see it. Years later I revisited and it rained heavily - sure enough the highway washed out again in exactly the same spot, luckily I have a good memory and remembered where not to position the car. The problem seems to be inadequate road foundations initially and obviously inadequate attempts to repair holes when they appear ( a couple of blocks tossing tar into the hole really doesn't cut it and is a complete waste of time and money). The roads are hopelessly under-sized for the massive trucks that now dominate them and both Launceston and Hobart need proper dual carriageway by-passes. Unfortunately roads, and transport in general in Tassie have been put in the too difficult box for many years now and look to be left there indefinitely while various authorities do nothing - apart from polite signs telling you the road will be icy. Now safely back in the UK I can revisit these pictures of so-called ‘highways’ in Tasmania with a mixture of horror and disbelief. Horror because I know they are really as bad as they look in the pictures and disbelief because it is only a miracle that more people aren’t killed on them. When I lived there one of my first experiences was of major pot-holes on the East Tamar Highway. There is a section just after the Rocherlea turn off that always washes out in the rain. Worst thing about it is that its position on the hill means unless you remember it you cannot see it until too late. I watched a P plater wreck his suspension on it one wet afternoon – he wasn’t going too fast just didn’t see it. Years later I revisited and it rained heavily – sure enough the highway washed out again in exactly the same spot, luckily I have a good memory and remembered where not to position the car. The problem seems to be inadequate road foundations initially and obviously inadequate attempts to repair holes when they appear ( a couple of blocks tossing tar into the hole really doesn’t cut it and is a complete waste of time and money). The roads are hopelessly under-sized for the massive trucks that now dominate them and both Launceston and Hobart need proper dual carriageway by-passes. Unfortunately roads, and transport in general in Tassie have been put in the too difficult box for many years now and look to be left there indefinitely while various authorities do nothing – apart from polite signs telling you the road will be icy.

]]> By: frogpondsrock http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-23132 frogpondsrock Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:05:58 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-23132 Lucy, It is this governement's responsiblity to fix the highway. There is no point being pedantic and trying to score points here. I drive on this road every day and it is a horrid dangerous road. The divider is an accident waiting to happen in itself, it has made a bad stretch of road worse.I am pleased that I dont live up Pritchards lane as access has now become a great big pain. The Midlands Highway needs to be a dual carriageway. It is that simple. I don't care which bunch of politicians is in power I just want the bloody road fixed. Lucy, It is this governement’s responsiblity to fix the highway. There is no point being pedantic and trying to score points here. I drive on this road every day and it is a horrid dangerous road.

The divider is an accident waiting to happen in itself, it has made a bad stretch of road worse.I am pleased that I dont live up Pritchards lane as access has now become a great big pain.

The Midlands Highway needs to be a dual carriageway. It is that simple. I don’t care which bunch of politicians is in power I just want the bloody road fixed.

]]> By: dev http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-23127 dev Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:08:03 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-23127 If the government spent our taxes on fixing the roads rather than employing spin doctors like Lucy to pretend everything's perfectly fine, then perhaps we'd be in better shape. I'm not sure how the ineptitude of contractors hired by the government isn't the government's fault, and please Lucy, don't waste any more taxpayers' money trying to spin white into black. The midlands highway is a disgrace, it has been a disgrace for a long time, and having been in power far too long already, the government has absolutely nobody to blame but itself. If the government spent our taxes on fixing the roads rather than employing spin doctors like Lucy to pretend everything’s perfectly fine, then perhaps we’d be in better shape. I’m not sure how the ineptitude of contractors hired by the government isn’t the government’s fault, and please Lucy, don’t waste any more taxpayers’ money trying to spin white into black. The midlands highway is a disgrace, it has been a disgrace for a long time, and having been in power far too long already, the government has absolutely nobody to blame but itself.

]]> By: Veronica http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-23126 Veronica Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:34:40 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-23126 Oh and Lucy? If you'd left me a valid email address, I would have emailed you my response. However, you failed to do that. I stand publicly behind my opinion of the road. Oh and Lucy? If you’d left me a valid email address, I would have emailed you my response. However, you failed to do that. I stand publicly behind my opinion of the road.

]]> By: Veronica http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-23125 Veronica Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:31:44 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-23125 Lucy - If the contractors are contracted by the Government and then they do a useless job, isn't it up to the Government to spot that and rectify the problem? Either by sending them back to fix it, or contracting someone else to do it? It <em>is</em> the Government's fault that this road is falling apart, as they have obviously failed to keep tabs on their contractors. I stand corrected on the student nurses, I thought it was reported that all four girls were students. One death is one too many. I understand that you cannot fix things while it continues to pour with rain, but we've had relatively dry weather for the last 6 or so weeks and nothing has been done to fix the damage caused by the rain. I drive on that road, every single day, and the current state of it is simply unacceptable. Lucy –

If the contractors are contracted by the Government and then they do a useless job, isn’t it up to the Government to spot that and rectify the problem? Either by sending them back to fix it, or contracting someone else to do it? It is the Government’s fault that this road is falling apart, as they have obviously failed to keep tabs on their contractors.

I stand corrected on the student nurses, I thought it was reported that all four girls were students. One death is one too many.

I understand that you cannot fix things while it continues to pour with rain, but we’ve had relatively dry weather for the last 6 or so weeks and nothing has been done to fix the damage caused by the rain.

I drive on that road, every single day, and the current state of it is simply unacceptable.

]]> By: Lucy http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-23124 Lucy Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:32:12 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-23124 To imply that the deaths of the four students (only 2 of whom were in fact nursing students) had anything to do with the current state of the road, or with black ice, is absurd and misleading. The current roadworks are a response to that accident, one that occurred because a young girl was driving too fast on very wet roads. The roadworks are carried out for DIER by contractors - and the fact that the roadworks are failing may indicate that the contractors are useless but should not be used as an argument against the government which is spending millions trying to fix this road. To use emotional blackmail regarding the deaths of the four students is simply inappropriate; of course nobody would willingly allow that to happen. That's why they're trying to fix the road. The extremely heavy rain we have had in Tassie this year has caused problems everywhere - speak to any builder, gardener, road contractor - you cannot fix these things when it continues to pour with rain. At least they have got the divider in place and I'm sure that DIER, as much as anybody else, are aware of the problems with the road surface and are working to fix them as soon as weather, resources and contracting arrangements permit. This kind of "everything should be perfect and fixed immediately" commentary is unproductive and unrealistic. To imply that the deaths of the four students (only 2 of whom were in fact nursing students) had anything to do with the current state of the road, or with black ice, is absurd and misleading. The current roadworks are a response to that accident, one that occurred because a young girl was driving too fast on very wet roads.

The roadworks are carried out for DIER by contractors – and the fact that the roadworks are failing may indicate that the contractors are useless but should not be used as an argument against the government which is spending millions trying to fix this road. To use emotional blackmail regarding the deaths of the four students is simply inappropriate; of course nobody would willingly allow that to happen. That’s why they’re trying to fix the road.

The extremely heavy rain we have had in Tassie this year has caused problems everywhere – speak to any builder, gardener, road contractor – you cannot fix these things when it continues to pour with rain. At least they have got the divider in place and I’m sure that DIER, as much as anybody else, are aware of the problems with the road surface and are working to fix them as soon as weather, resources and contracting arrangements permit.

This kind of “everything should be perfect and fixed immediately” commentary is unproductive and unrealistic.

]]> By: Just a mom http://somedaywewillsleep.com/the-state-of-the-midland-highway-with-photos/comment-page-1/#comment-23049 Just a mom Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:21:50 +0000 http://somedaywewillsleep.com/?p=2336#comment-23049 Hey there... I think the problem is,, YOUR DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD,,,, have a great holiday and keep your chin up. Hope all is calm with you as calm as it CAN BE. Hey there… I think the problem is,, YOUR DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD,,,, have a great holiday and keep your chin up. Hope all is calm with you as calm as it CAN BE.

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