APPENDIX 7 Traffic Assessment TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR PROPOSED AMMONIUM NITRATE EMULSION PRODUCTION FACILITY AT ORICA’S TECHNOLOGY CENTRE AT RICHMOND VALE Ref. 28135r 12 October 2009 Prepared By TRANSPORT & URBAN PLANNING Traffic Engineering, Transport Planning Road Safety & Project Management Consultants 5/90 Toronto Parade P.O. Box 533 SUTHERLAND NSW 2232 Tel: (02) 9545-1411 Fax: (02) 9545-1556 Email: [email protected] TRANSPORT AND URBAN PLANNING EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report documents the assessment of the traffic impacts of a proposal to construct and operate an Ammonium Nitrate Emulsion production facility at Orica’s Technology Park at Richmond Vale (near Kurri Kurri). The facility is to replace Orica’s existing plant facility which is located at Liddell. The production plant, if approved will be constructed in 2010 and will commence production in 2011, at which time it will produce around 125,000 tpa of Ammonium Nitrate Emulsion (ANE). It will reach its maximum figure of 250,000 tpa of ANE in 2023. The ANE facility will employ an additional 9 persons per day, 7 days per week, who will be split between 3 x eight hour shifts per day. Orica’s Technology Park at Richmond Vale currently generates an estimated 566 vehicle trips on a weekday including 54 heavy vehicle trips (i.e. 283 vehicles in and 283 vehicles out). The existing traffic conditions on the road network including at the intersection adjacent the Orica site are accessed to be relatively good with low vehicle delays at the intersections and satisfactory to good traffic conditions in George Booth Drive and John Renshaw Drive. These roads and other roads to be used by vehicles generated by the proposed ANE production plant are State Roads and approved B Double routes. Current and future projects that will change traffic conditions in George Booth Drive and on the adjacent road network include: • the F3 Branxton Link which is projected to open in 2013 and which will substantially reduce traffic volumes using George Booth Drive by 92%; and • the reduction of the daily road haulage requirements associated with Tasman Mine which is projected to decrease from 2011 and cease operation in 2015. The proposal will incrementally increase the traffic generation of the Orica site between 2011 and 2023 as follows: • from 70 vehicle trips on a weekday and a maximum of up to 14 vehicle trips in the AM and PM peak hours in 2011; • to 120 vehicle trips on a weekday and a maximum of up to 22 vehicle trips in the AM and PM peak hours in 2023. The majority of these additional trips (50 and 100 vehicle trips per day in 2011 and 2023 respectively) will be by heavy vehicles including B double and single tanker vehicles and other vehicles, associated with the delivery of the raw materials to produce the ANE and its distribution after production. 28135es Orica’s Technology Centre, Richmond Vale Executive Summary TRANSPORT AND URBAN PLANNING Raw material deliveries will be from the Orica facility at Kooragang Island in Newcastle and from Sydney, as well as water deliveries from the local area. The ANE product delivery vehicles will travel between the ANE plant at Richmond Vale from where the ANE product will be distributed to clients predominately in the Hunter Valley. The principle transport routes for the heavy vehicles will include: • George Booth Drive (MR527) between John Renshaw Drive (MR588) and Echidna Drive (Orica Entrance); • John Renshaw Drive (MR588) to and from the east to the F3 and New England Highway (SH 9); and • Prior to the opening of the F3 link between Seahampton and Branxton in 2013, those trucks travelling between Richmond Vale and clients in the Hunter Valley will use the State Road route which includes John Renshaw Drive / Mulbring Street / Tarro Street / Victoria Street (MR588), Lang Street / Main Road / Cessnock Road (MR195) between George Booth Drive (MR527) and New England Highway (SH9) at Maitland; and • Following the projected opening of the F3 link in 2013, all deliveries of raw materials to the site and all deliveries of ANE product from the Production Plant at Richmond Vale will use the new F3 link to / from the Buchanan interchange, a short section of John Renshaw Drive (MR588) and George Booth Drive (MR527). As part of the proposal Orica will introduce a Code of Conduct for Drivers operating heavy vehicles to and from the Richmond Vale Technology Centre. The assessment of the operational traffic impacts of the proposed ANE facility have been undertaken for 2013, prior to the opening of the F3 Branxton link. At this time the additional traffic is estimated to increase the total weekday volumes in George Booth Drive by around 1.1% and represent an increase of 6.5% - 7.8% to the heavy vehicles using George Booth Drive, which are well within the road capacity of George Booth Drive, which is a State Road and a B Double route. Traffic modelling indicates that the intersection of George Booth Drive/Echidna Drive and George Booth Drive/John Renshaw Drive will continue to operate at a good level of service (Level of Service A or B) during the weekday AM and PM peak hours. Following the opening of the F3 Branxton Link in 2013 the traffic volumes using George Booth Drive are expected to decrease by approximately 92% from their current and future predicted levels, to around 700 vehicles per day in 2016 and 2026. The proposed ANE facility will reach maximum capacity in 2023 at which time it will generate 120 vehicle trips per day and a maximum of 22 vehicle trips in the AM and PM peak hours. At this time other traffic using George Booth Drive will be small in real terms. Traffic volumes south of the Orica Site will be less than 700vpd (vehicles per day) and less than 70vph (vehicles per hour) in the weekday peak hours. North of the Orica Site, George Booth Drive will carry traffic generated by the existing land uses in George Booth Drive including Orica’s existing operation, plus the additional traffic from the proposed ANE plant. 28135es Orica’s Technology Centre, Richmond Vale Executive Summary TRANSPORT AND URBAN PLANNING Based on the low traffic volumes that will use George Booth Drive following the opening of the F3 Branxton Link, the traffic impacts of the additional traffic generated by the proposal at full production will be negligible and traffic conditions in George Booth Drive will be good. As part of the F3 Branxton link a new interchange will be constructed at Buchanan which will involve the upgrading of the John Renshaw Drive/George Booth Drive roundabout. The proposal is not expected to have any negative impacts on road safety in George Booth Drive or elsewhere on the road network. George Booth Drive is a State Road and an approved B double route. The road is constructed to current standards. The section between John Renshaw Drive and the Echidna Drive (Orica Entrance) is suitable for use by articulated vehicles including B doubles, and the existing channelisation at the George Booth Drive / Echidna Drive intersection (Figure 4) is suitable to accommodate an increase in the number of vehicles accessing the Orica site, including heavy vehicles. The additional traffic associated with the proposed plant is not expected to have any negative impacts on the one (1) school bus that operates in a section of George Booth Drive. Nor will the additional traffic result in an increase in potential conflicts at driveways to local properties, as shoulder sealing is provided in George Booth Drive at driveway locations. If approved, construction of the proposed plant is expected to occur in 2010. The traffic generation during construction is estimated as a maximum of 106 vehicle trips per day and 40 vehicle trips during the AM and PM peak hours. The majority of the trips will be light vehicles associated with the construction workforce. Heavy vehicles are estimated as 6 vehicle trips per day. The assessment of the traffic conditions in George Booth Drive and at the adjacent intersections has found that traffic conditions will remain satisfactory to good with the additional construction traffic using the road network. 28135es Orica’s Technology Centre, Richmond Vale Executive Summary TRANSPORT AND URBAN PLANNING CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 ORICA’S EXISTING OPERATION AND PROPOSAL 2 2.1 Orica’s Technology Centre – Existing Situation 2 2.2 The Proposal 2 3.0 EXISTING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS 5 3.1 Principle Road Network 5 3.1.1 Principle Roads 5 3.1.2 Standards for Rural Roads 5 3.2 Description of Existing Roads 5 3.2.1 George Booth Drive 5 3.2.2 John Renshaw Drive (MR588) 6 3.2.3 Lang Street / Main Road / Cessnock Road (MR195) 6 3.2.4 Echidna Drive 7 3.2.5 Principal Intersections 7 3.2.6 Other Intersections 8 3.3 Existing Conditions on the Road Network 9 3.3.1 Data Collection 9 3.3.2 Daily Traffic Volumes 9 3.3.3 Peak Hour Traffic Volumes 10 3.4 Road Safety 11 3.5 Bus Routes 12 3.6 Future Considerations 12 3.6.1 F3 Link to Branxton (Hunter Expressway) 12 3.6.2 Tasman Mine 13 3.7 Future Base Traffic Volumes in George Booth Drive, without Orica Proposal 14 4.0 ASSESSMENT OF TRAFFIC IMPACTS 15 4.1 Traffic Impacts During Construction Phase 15 4.2 Traffic Impacts During Operational Phase 18 4.2.1 Traffic Generation 18 4.2.2 Assessment of Operational Traffic Impacts 20 4.3 Road Safety 22 4.4 Potential Interaction with, and Impacts on the School Bus Route 23 4.5 Potential Impacts on Driveway Access 23 4.6 Parking and On Site Operation 23 5.0 CONCLUSIONS 24 REFERENCES 25 Ref: 28135r Orica’s Technology Centre, Richmond Vale Traffic