Coincidentally I did look at the MATS Plan this week. A deeply flawed document proposing freeways where they weren't necessary and underestimating what could be done with public transport. It would have ruined many suburbs, prevented environmental improvements, and made Adelaide much more car dependent. It is fair to say we're much better off without it. But could we have benefitted from bits of it?
Actually we
have benefitted from bits of it! The Port River Expressway was part of it, as was the Southern Expressway. Some other parts of it were built as normal roads. Montague Road is the obvious example, and although it doesn't yet link with the Port River Expressway, it is likely to in the future. The cost of building it as a freeway would have greatly outweighed the benefits, and the drawbacks would have been significant.
Another example is Main South Road where it crosses the Onkaparinga. It didn't need to be part of a freeway to do its job. That doesn't mean it will never become a freeway, but it doesn't need to be one yet.
As the roads get busier, many people do think we should build a North-South freeway. But that's not an argument for the MATS plan. If we'd built one back then, it would often be gridlocked by now! Upgrading South Road will suffice for now. If and when we need something better, we can build an underground tollway like they have done in every Australian city bigger than Adelaide.
Finally, the MATS Plan would have had a train subway going from the current Adelaide Central Station, underneath King William Street and along the current tram corridor. It would have then met a split junction at Goodwood and split into two different suburban railway lines: The Noarlunga Railway Line and the Belair Railway Line which connects to the line which takes you to Melbourne. It is because of this that the Interstate Railway Station could have been situated underneath Victoria Square. Can you imagine it? Being an interstate passenger from Melbourne travelling on the railway line and as you find yourself within the inner suburbs (or the Torrens Lake if you're coming from Perth), you suddenly go underground with the CBD Buildings just in view and then the train stops in a huge underground railway station. You then take your luggage and walk up to ground level to find yourself in Victoria Square with the Market and Grote Street to your left, Wakefield Street and the Adelaide Hills to your right and the big office buildings in front of you. CAN YOU IMAGINE IT?!
I can, but the MATS plan could not!
It did include a section under King William Street, but the plan involved closing the Glenelg tramway in order to get there.
Have you ever been to Keswick terminal? The platform is very long. An alternative under the City wouldn't fit Victoria Square - it would need almost the entire length of King William Street!
There's also the ventilation issue - the interstate trains would still be diesel hauled, so there would either be a ventilation problem or the expense of changing locomotives.
The MATS plan did not involve closure of the line through Keswick - that would still have been needed for freight. And the interstate trains would have terminated in Adelaide station at North Terrace, as they always used to before Keswick terminal was built. I suppose it may have prevented the construction of Keswick terminal, as it would have avoided the conflict between STA and AN. But it is fanciful to think they'd've put a new station under the City instead.
The MATS plan would NOT have enabled us to solve the congestion problem, or even helped us to.
- that MATS plan for Hindmarsh is just gross 
Take a bus next time! There were thousands in town tonight. Great atmosphere
