U/C: Dukes Highway Duplication

[Cruise]

While they look good, wouldn't it be better to underpass Nain North Road or Port Wakefield Road instead, given that the Northern Expressway and Port River Expressway will take away a lot of the freight off Grand Junction Road?

they could also build an overpass

[rhino]

While they look good, wouldn't it be better to underpass Nain North Road or Port Wakefield Road instead, given that the Northern Expressway and Port River Expressway will take away a lot of the freight off Grand Junction Road?

Absolutely not. The freight traffic that uses Grand Junction Road to access the port comes from the South Eastern Freeway, and along Portrush/Hampstead roads. The bulk of the freight traffic from the north has not used Grand Junction Road for years. Hence, in order to get the freight moving fluidly, it makes far more sense to put Grand Junction Road in the tunnel than either of the other two.

Remember the roll of the Northern Expressway is primarily as a freight route, to guide heavy freight traffic out of Elizabeth and Salisbury. This freight will then head straight for the Port on the Port River Expressway, or for destinations in the suburbs via South Road. The fact that passenger traffic will use the expressway to approach Adelaide is secondary to it's primary function.

[bmw boy]

looking good... although what happend to Kart Mania lol

[Ash-SV6]

More over what happened to Port Wakefield Roads south bound lanes like Norman pointed out? In those renders the intersection is closed off to traffic coming from the north, which is absurd since so many trucks turn left from Port Wakefield rd onto Grand Junction rd on their way to the freeway. Which other way will they go?

[Norman]

While they look good, wouldn't it be better to underpass Nain North Road or Port Wakefield Road instead, given that the Northern Expressway and Port River Expressway will take away a lot of the freight off Grand Junction Road?

Absolutely not. The freight traffic that uses Grand Junction Road to access the port comes from the South Eastern Freeway, and along Portrush/Hampstead roads. The bulk of the freight traffic from the north has not used Grand Junction Road for years. Hence, in order to get the freight moving fluidly, it makes far more sense to put Grand Junction Road in the tunnel than either of the other two.

Remember the roll of the Northern Expressway is primarily as a freight route, to guide heavy freight traffic out of Elizabeth and Salisbury. This freight will then head straight for the Port on the Port River Expressway, or for destinations in the suburbs via South Road. The fact that passenger traffic will use the expressway to approach Adelaide is secondary to it's primary function.

Fair enough. I would have thought freight would rather go Cross Road and then South Road.

[crawf]

It must be a stuff up, because you would be crazy to close of the south bound lane for Port Wakefield Road.

Other than that it looks pretty good

[rogue]

Look closely at the middle render.

The south bound lane veers off to merge with Main North Road traffic on the north side of the drive in.

[rhino]

Look closely at the middle render.

The south bound lane veers off to merge with Main North Road traffic on the north side of the drive in.

Crikey, you're right!

Wouldn't it make much more sense to take Main North Road along the top of the drive-in and into Port Wakefield Road? Then build a short, straight bridge over it for southbound PW Rd traffic to enter via a slip lane - no traffic lights except for the GJ Rd intersection. The way they have shown it, it involves yet another set of traffic lights on Main North Road.

[Ash-SV6]

Look closely at the middle render.

The south bound lane veers off to merge with Main North Road traffic on the north side of the drive in.

Crikey, you're right!

Wouldn't it make much more sense to take Main North Road along the top of the drive-in and into Port Wakefield Road? Then build a short, straight bridge over it for southbound PW Rd traffic to enter via a slip lane - no traffic lights except for the GJ Rd intersection. The way they have shown it, it involves yet another set of traffic lights on Main North Road.

So basically breaking up Gepps Cross intersection into two intersections, with Gepps Cross becoming a traditional four way intersection? Would add alot of expense but would be better for the long run.

[rhino]

The only real expense would be the one-way bridge carrying the southbound carriageway of Port Wakefield Road over the east-west section of Main North Road, and the sliplane to merge the traffic before it reaches Grand Junction Road. The existing plan already has one carriageway of Port Wakefield Road turning east along the northern boundary of the drive-in, and a new set of traffic lights at the newly created junction with Main North Road.

What I am proposing is turning both carriageways of Main North Road west along the top of the drive-in, then south along the existing alignment of Port Wakefield Road. Traffic headed north along Port Wakefield Road can continue north without a problem, and Port Wakefield Road's southbound traffic would use the bridge. Then there would be a simple 4-way intersection at Gepps Cross. The cost of the bridge would be offset somewhat by the set of traffic lights that would not be needed, and traffic would flow more smoothly.

As you suggest, much better off in the long run.

[Bulldozer]

Man that's a cheap and nasty design. It needs overpasses and slip lanes to smoothly funnel turning traffic and eliminate most of the traffic lights and stop the intersection from being widened so much.

What's the deal with everything being an underpass these days? Bridges don't flood and add a bit of vertical variety to what is a very flat city.

[Bulldozer]

I think you'll find they will dig out the Noarlunga lines and make them go under the ARTC line. Due to the tram bridge there wont be any flyovers, and the ARTC line can't be dug down because of the Goodwood Rd underpass and the grades it will create for trains heading out of Adelaide. So this raises an interesting question - what will happen to Goodwood station? Will it be relocated to alongside the showgrounds, or will we see our first subway style station?

Could always fill in the Goodwood Rd underpass and turn it into an overpass But yes, since Noarlunga trains stop at Goodwood it might be better to move the station north of the tram overpass so it's closer to the showgrounds, but that still leaves the tram overpass in the way. If that blasted creek wasn't there then you could simplfy the problem by turning the tram overpass into an underpass. Perhaps diverting the creek is possible?

Moving the station further north would stop TransAdelaide building a temporary shogrounds stop every year. Do many people use Goodwood to make a connection between the trains and trams?

Could the the ARTC track be swapped from the the western side to the eastern side at the junction so that the cross-over with the suburban lines can then be moved between Goodwood Station and the Anzac Highway bridge where a flyover could be used?

[Will409]

The ARTC line would still have to use the western side so it can access Keswick Terminal and further along, make it around Gaol Loop. Shifting it over means putting freight and the Overland in conflict with ALL south bound TA services (not just the Noarlunga line as is currently the case). Not only that but you also loose the current Keswick crossing loop which is used a bit as well as the small ARTC maintenance yard.

Wait until the rail system is gauge converted from broad to standard gauge before we can start making real alterations.

[Bulldozer]

Shifting it over means putting freight and the Overland in conflict with ALL south bound TA services (not just the Noarlunga line as is currently the case).

So there's not enough space to build a flyover between Goodwood station and the Anzac Highway bridge? I'd have thought there'd be enough to build one for the suburban lines to cross over the freight line. (Still presuming you can get away with a steeper gradient for suburban lines)

[Edgar]

Some of the road standards in our South Australian state cannot even be considered as 'Freeway', at certain stretches it is not even worth the 'Highway' title.

There's only one freeway in SA, and it's from Glen Osmond to Murray Bridge.

Adding an overtaking lanes every 5-10kms or so does not really help much. When you see a screaming road train driving towards you, you better hold on the steering tight and be prepared to maneuver your car if it gets blown away. During my return driving trip to Melbourne, I have come across or at least seen cars in front of me nearly lose control because of these trucks.

An inch more and they could have kissed side by side and throwing the whole car rolling towards the side dirt. Simple as that. Trucks are build to carry humongous loads not to travel at highspeed with them, I'd even came across trucks that were screaming so hard as the driver tried to overtake me at the speed of 110kmph, the speed limit, can you believe that?

Unless things have changed in the last few years you have to head up north if you want to see a road train. (Three or more trailers.)

There's nothing wrong with driving and being passed by a semi on a sealed road. Most drivers never do any country driving so I suppose they don't know what to expect or how to handle it. In a car built within the last ten years or so you barely even feel the wake thanks to improved aerodynamics. Overtaking lanes are good, but people need to learn to be patient and hang back a minute or two until the next one pops up. The skill level of the average driver in Australia is really poor. How many know how to handle a blowout, aquaplaning, drifting off the verge, etc?

I found in my trip to the Flinders earlier this year that the biggest threat on the road are the "grey nomads". We almost had four head-on crashes because these idiots came speeding around blind corners while taking the line. Two locked their brakes up, with one of those towing a trailer that started to jacknife. Idiots. What's their damn hurry anyway?

Perhaps I got you confused but that's why I said our Freeway is not much different than a Highway afterall. And is a continuous or joint in-between the same highway. So what is the point really, to have a 'freeway' running on a 'highway' stretch?

Forget about drivers for normal cars, lets just start with trucks and they way they drive on the highway. If you drive on Pricess Highway to South Eastern Freeway all the way to Dukes Highway, you don't get any worser driver than truck drivers, and in this case, should you really ask, what's their damn hurry anyway!