Thread: Amberley Air Show....

1. The Australian Defence Forces (ADF) will be conducting an Air Show at the Royal Australian Air Force Base (RAAF) Amberley QLD on the weekend of 4-5 October 2008. The gates will open to the public at 0800 and close at 1700, with the car parks opening at 0730 each day. There will be a 5.0 hour flying show each day commencing at 1030 and ending at 1530, as well as static displays which will be open to the public from 0800 until 1700 on each day.
2. Planning is for 25-30,000 visitors on each day including: up to 13,100 cars, 20 charter coaches and twenty four shuttle buses from Ipswich Railway station (Bell Street) to the base. Light aircraft are also anticipated to arrive at the event but is outside the scope of this plan.
Base Parking Areas
3. There are planned to be eight Air Show Car Parks (see Appendix A) designated for base visitors, some of which will be colour coded for security and emergency purposes. The Car Parks are:
a. A - (Black 1) on the ‘Airfield’ to South of Boeing hangar;
b. H - (Green 2) Handicapped and Disabled parking to east of the Boeing Hangar;
c. B - (Yellow 3) the ‘Farmer’s Paddock’ south of the old married quarters;
d. C1 - (Red 4) behind the Amberley school;
e. C2 - (Yellow 5) behind the 1 Air Transportable Health Squadron;
f. C3 – (White 6) Slashed area behind the school;
g. V - VIP and contractor parking on old parade ground;
h. O2 - (Blue 7) overflow parking to south west of North Perimeter Road; and
i. O1 - (Green 8) overflow parking to north west of North Perimeter Road
Accessing Car Parking (Normal conditions)
4. Car Parks A, B and H will normally be accessed via Cunningham Highway and Southern Amberley Road and are expected to service the majority of visitors from Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast and Warwick area. Southern Amberley Road will be one way traffic from 0630 (ie two lanes of inbound traffic to Amberley only). There will be six ‘feed offs’ from Southern Amberley Road into Car Parks A, B and H.
5. Car Parks C and O will normally be accessed via Walloon or Rosewood and are expected to service people from Toowoomba, the Brisbane Valley and some Brisbane visitors. These roads will remain two-way traffic and will provide an early departure route for spectators in car parks A, B and C. Operational traffic and emergency traffic will be routed via the Northern Perimeter Road and exit via the ‘back gate’ and Old Toowoomba Road.
6. There will be no parking available for workers within the ‘Spectator Area’ of the air show. This will affect approximately 100 workers from TAE and Boeing who may be working on those days. Alternative parking for those workers will be available between buildings 280 and 279, 76 and 71; 278 and 428. The grassed area opposite Building 381 may also be used.
Car Parking (Overflow conditions)
7. Parking for 12,100 cars will be available in the primary car parks A, B, C1, C2, C3, H and V. However it is possible that overflow parking will be needed. This parking is provided at car parks O1 and O2 off John Ward Way. Since the traffic flow rates into the car parks is the limiting factor for spectators travelling by car, it is important that three lanes of traffic be maintained for as long as possible, including during the filling of the overflow car parks. The process for the utilisation is detailed in paragraphs 25-31.
8. Shuttle buses. CityTrans (Brisbane Buses) have been contracted to shuttle QR spectators from Ipswich Station (Bell Street) to the air show at Amberley. The shuttle bus route will be via Old Toowoomba Road, Northern Perimeter Road, Iroquois Avenue, Canberra Avenue, thence via the large round about, Phantom Drive to the designated bus unload area opposite the old Amberley primary school. They will return to Ipswich via F-111 Drive and the Northern Perimeter Road, as depicted in Appendix B. Buses will park on the right hand side of Phantom Drive and water barriers will section off the road to separate pedestrians from the bus lane. One way traffic will apply in the bus zone and the roundabout will be used in counter clockwise directions. Base traffic will not be permitted though the large round about. There will be 12 buses in the AM from Ipswich Station (Bell Street) commencing at 0800 and 24 buses departing Amberley after the flying component of the air show is completed at 1530. Bus departures will be timed to meet the QR trains at approximately 30 minute intervals. Allowance has been made for up to 6000 passengers to be transported to and from Amberley on each day of the show, which is consistent with the anticipated passenger arrivals by rail. An approximate schedule for the bus departures is at Appendix C.
Coaches and Taxis
9. Coaches from the Cunningham Highway shall be directed up the Ipswich Rosewood Road (which shall remain as two way traffic) to enter Rosewood Road for parking. Coaches from the Warrego Highway via Walloon shall to be directed to enter Rosewood Road from the Walloon direction. Chartered coaches are to be parked in the area on the South Eastern end of Rosewood Road as shown in Appendix A. Coaches should be parked in ‘herringbone’ fashion; facing out to the road to enable them to move off without having to reverse into the pedestrian outflow at the end of the Air Show.
10. Taxis. Some taxis are to be expected but their utilisation is to be discouraged. All taxis are to be directed via Rosewood Road as per charter coaches. Taxis from the Cunningham Highway are to be directed up the Ipswich Rosewood Road to enter Rosewood Road and proceed to the passenger drop off point. (Note Cunningham Highway will be tidal flow so return via this route will not be possible). Taxis from the Warrego Highway via Walloon are to be directed to enter Rosewood Road from the Walloon direction to the passenger drop off point. Taxi passengers are to be dropped off at the Amberley Primary School, before being directed to do a U-Turn and exit the area via Rosewood Road and Walloon. Taxi Pick up after the Air Show is not recommended, however a taxi pick up point will be established at the Amberley Primary School. (See Appendix A).
11. It is anticipated that Cunningham Highway will carry the bulk of the Air Show traffic. The Traffic Management Plan requires Cunningham Highway be converted to one-way traffic from Ripley / Flinders View Overpass through to the Peaks Crossing exit. Cunningham Highway will be closed from 0530 to 0630 each day to convert it to one-way traffic, then from 1330 to 1430 to reverse the traffic flow, then from 2100 to 2200 to reopen it to two way traffic. The ‘tidal flow’ is expected to be in force towards Amberley from 0630 until 1330 then from Amberley from 1430 until 2100.
Cunningham Highway
12. Ripley / Flinders View Overpass. From 0630 traffic shall flow inbound along the Ipswich bypass until the Ripley / Flinders View Overpass at which the traffic shall cross to two inbound lanes of tidal flow inbound to Amberley. This one way ‘tidal flow’ will require diversion of the Warwick to Brisbane traffic on the Cunningham Highway via Peaks Crossing and prevent all traffic travelling east bound on the Cunningham Highway from the Peaks Crossing exit on Cunningham Highway through to the Ripley / Flinders View Overpass.
13. Southern Amberley Road traffic islands. At the Southern Amberley Road traffic islands the left and right hand lanes inbound turn right into Southern Amberley Road which shall be one way (two lanes) ‘tidal flow’ inbound to Amberley in from 0630 until 1330. The exception is coach and taxi traffic which shall be directed to continue straight ahead up the Ipswich-Rosewood Road to meet with the Walloon inbound traffic at the traffic islands at Rosewood Road. Base workers who inadvertently attempt to get to the base along Cunningham Highway will also be directed down Ipswich-Rosewood Road, into Haighslea Amberley Road to enter the base via the ‘Contractors Gate’ on John Ward Way (0530-2000).
14. Car Park B entry. Off Southern Amberley Road the left lane shall split in two/three and move into Car Park B (‘farmer’s paddock’). The wire fence at the off ramp shall be removed temporarily and the roadway enhanced. A second primary lane of traffic shall transit via the 90 degree turn into the paddock. The invert into the paddock proper shall be repaired to permit two lanes of traffic to cross the gully; and the wire fences shall be temporarily removed to permit vehicle entry to the top of car park C. When needed, a third lane will be activated via Lady Scherger Crescent. Use of this access will require the crossing of Southern Amberley Road by pedestrian traffic which shall be controlled. See Appendix I.
15. Car Park A entry. The right lane on Southern Amberley Road shall exit at three pick off points onto the Airfield Car Park A.
Warrego Highway and Walloon
16. Walloon Road. Walloon Road shall be two way traffic throughout the air show to permit early exiting traffic and minimise disruption to regional traffic. Air show traffic from Walloon shall turn left off Haigslea-Amberley Road or Ipswich-Rosewood Road into the left lane of Rosewood Road for parking behind Amberley primary school in car park C.
Handicapped and Disabled
17. Vehicles (including light buses up to 14 seater Coaster style – but excluding Coaches) with disabled stickers (or those with Airshow permits to park in the disabled car parks) are to be directed to the right hand lane and proceed through car park A into the designated Handicapped car park H. The web site shall direct disabled persons to travel to the Air Show via Cunningham Highway. Some spaces in Car Park C2 are to be kept available for disabled who miss this direction.
Southern Amberley Road Restrictions.
18. No traffic (except operational traffic, emergency traffic and the odd car that needs to outflow early) shall be permitted on the Southern Amberley Road between Rosewood Road and Lady Scherger Crescent.
Overflow Parking and Traffic changes
19. Vehicles needing to depart early from Car Parks A and B shall be directed up Southern Amberley Road then up Rosewood to the Warrego Highway. Vehicles needing to depart early from Car Park C shall be directed up to the end of Rosewood Road then up Rosewood Road to the Warrego Highway. There will be a requirement for traffic control to permit this traffic to cross the inbound flow to Car Parks C and O. There should be no requirement for cars in the overflow car park to depart early, but in this event they will be diverted along the Northern Perimeter Road to exit via the ‘Back Gate’. The plan is depicted in Appendix J.
Special Access passes (Rear gate and Contractor’s gate).
20. Overview. In general the outflow of traffic from Amberley after the show shall be the reverse of the inflow of traffic and is shown at Appendix F. Considerable traffic gridlock is expected as the outflow capacity from the car parks will be limited to approximately 2700 cars per hour (3 x 900) hence the departure time is expected to be 3.5 hours if 10,000 cars are present and up to 4 hours if capacity of 16,100 cars is reached. This will be complicated by nightfall, driver frustration and higher probability of accidents.
Reversal of traffic flow
21. Closure of the Cunningham Highway shall start at 1330 and traffic reversal commence at 1430. Walloon and Rosewood Roads shall remain as two way traffic throughout the Airshow. Two lanes should be maintained along Cunningham Highway until the Ipswich bypass forms into a dual carriageway near the Ripley turn off.
22. Outflow from individual car parks. Each car park exit shall be manned by at least two SES traffic wardens and the assigned RAAF pedestrian wardens to control outflow and pedestrian safety. No single car park should have full right of exit over others, rather the traffic flow controlled to ensure a fair exit from all car parks.

24. Entry Points. There shall be three pedestrian entry points from the eight Car Parks as shown in Appendix G.
a. Pedestrian Entry Point 1 - Base Cinema;
b. Pedestrian Entry Point 2 – near Runway 04 threshold; and
c. Pedestrian Entry Point 3 – near the Boeing Hanger 410;
25. Air Show Cancellation. Should it become necessary to cancel the Air Show, the decision will be made by Head Special Events. The Public Affairs Plan details the public information to be disseminated. Additionally, road signs and Variable Message Signs (VMS) will be activated to direct traffic away from the air show. Turning bays will be set up as necessary by QPS. In the event of adverse weather leading up to the air show, particularly rainfall, the decision on cancellation will be made 72 hours prior to the air show. Traffic access to the car parks is a major limitation even after small amounts of rainfall.

Getting to the carpark approaches
approach.jpg

getting into the carparks
incoming.jpg

the carparks
carparks.jpg

moving people
pedcon.jpg
pedcon2.jpg

another oportunity for a reccy...

the carparks, thanks to the recent hot dry weather and prevailing winds are mainly dry. there are some soft spots but nothing that is going to trip up anything with awd and a driver with a couple of IQ points