[COM] M2 Northern Connector | 15.5km | $867m

[Nowlistencarefully]

In the meantime can we get 200-250m of extra lane turning left onto pt Wakefield rd from expressway/Salisbury hwy. This northern connector may not get completed until well into the 2020's if it gets off the ground.

[drsmith]

The state and federal governments are currently at disagreement on how it should be funded,

The Federal Government is pushing for a toll to be applied to trucks and heavy vehicles or alternatively, for the State Government to tap into the Asset Recycling Initiative which provides one-off cash bonuses to states that sell assets.

The State Government has ruled out both options.

If there was a private funding component and hence the toll for heavy transport, I imagine the road would be a single build.

http://www.news.com.au/national/south-a ... 6987544825

[[Shuz]]

#facepalm

For god's sake. The South Australian economy is in the doldrums. The northern suburbs are crying out for much needed jobs, economic stimulus and new infrastructure. The State Government should be doing absolutely everything it can to assist this process. That means taking the blinkers off, putting aside party politics and doing what's best in the interests of the people of the northern suburbs and South Australia as a whole. Introduce tolls, and tap into the asset recycling initiative and just get this bloody thing done already.

Had we got a Liberal State Government, this would have been dealt with already.

[rhino]

Had we got a Liberal State Government, this would have been dealt with already.

Seriously??? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[metro]

Had we got a Liberal State Government, this would have been dealt with already.

Ah yes, had we got the idiots who can't even get elected after more than a decade in opposition. Who when last in power were famous for selling off all they could and only had a 1-way expressway and a bridge to nowhere (Hindmarsh Island) to show after 8 years and 3 different premiers.

[Waewick]

#facepalm

For god's sake. The South Australian economy is in the doldrums. The northern suburbs are crying out for much needed jobs, economic stimulus and new infrastructure. The State Government should be doing absolutely everything it can to assist this process. That means taking the blinkers off, putting aside party politics and doing what's best in the interests of the people of the northern suburbs and South Australia as a whole. Introduce tolls, and tap into the asset recycling initiative and just get this bloody thing done already.

Had we got a Liberal State Government, this would have been dealt with already.

only because they would allow partial tolls.

That being said given the track record in this state the bulk of the workers would be from interstate any way.

[Waewick]

Had we got a Liberal State Government, this would have been dealt with already.

Ah yes, had we got the idiots who can't even get elected after more than a decade in opposition. Who when last in power were famous for selling off all they could and only had a 1-way expressway and a bridge to nowhere (Hindmarsh Island) to show after 8 years and 3 different premiers.

you do realise that was over 12 years ago. .right.

[alexczarn]

charge a bloody toll.

And it's not like the Northern Connector will be the only route, if you don't want to pay the toll, take Pt Wakefield Road sheeples.

[monotonehell]

I don't think any commercial interests would enter into such an arrangement as Adelaide's traffic quantity is not enough to provide a large enough revenue stream to attract any (From what I'm lead to believe it is predicted to be around 60,000vmpd).

[drsmith]

I don't think any commercial interests would enter into such an arrangement as Adelaide's traffic quantity is not enough to provide a large enough revenue stream to attract any (From what I'm lead to believe it is predicted to be around 60,000vmpd).

Commercial interests would only fund a relatively small proportion of the total project cost if the funding model behind a similar project involving a heavy transport toll (Perth Freight Link) is any guide.

[monotonehell]

I don't think any commercial interests would enter into such an arrangement as Adelaide's traffic quantity is not enough to provide a large enough revenue stream to attract any (From what I'm lead to believe it is predicted to be around 60,000vmpd).

Commercial interests would only fund a relatively small proportion of the total project cost if the funding model behind a similar project involving a heavy transport toll (Perth Freight Link) is any guide.

I forget exactly what problem we are trying to solve with a toll?

[SBD]

I forget exactly what problem we are trying to solve with a toll?

I think it's that the Commonwealth is considered more likely to throw money towards new roads that charge tolls. Presumably Torrens-to-Torrens, Darlington, and Bald Hills Road interchange aren't new roads by whatever definition they want to use.

[muzzamo]

I don't think any commercial interests would enter into such an arrangement as Adelaide's traffic quantity is not enough to provide a large enough revenue stream to attract any (From what I'm lead to believe it is predicted to be around 60,000vmpd).

Commercial interests would only fund a relatively small proportion of the total project cost if the funding model behind a similar project involving a heavy transport toll (Perth Freight Link) is any guide.

I forget exactly what problem we are trying to solve with a toll?

Price signalling - not that dissimilar to the GP co-payment really.

The idea is to start signalling to people that, at a billion dollars per 4 KM, you shouldn't be using these roads in peak hour unless you need to be using them. With a price signal in place you may find it cheaper to catch public transport or live closer to your work or work closer to where you live.

[monotonehell]

I forget exactly what problem we are trying to solve with a toll?

I think it's that the Commonwealth is considered more likely to throw money towards new roads that charge tolls. Presumably Torrens-to-Torrens, Darlington, and Bald Hills Road interchange aren't new roads by whatever definition they want to use.

So it wouldn't be a private entity helping fund the construction, nor receiving the toll revenue?

Price signalling - not that dissimilar to the GP co-payment really. The idea is to start signalling to people that, at a billion dollars per 4 KM, you shouldn't be using these roads in peak hour unless you need to be using them. With a price signal in place you may find it cheaper to catch public transport or live closer to your work or work closer to where you live.

That would only work if there wasn't an alternative route.

[drsmith]

Despite differences still remaining between the state and federal government over freight tolling, this project appears to be inching closer to reality.

http://indaily.com.au/news/2015/08/06/t ... tor-start/

Hopefully when it does get the nod, it will be a full length single stage build.

Something that I've noticed recently is the construction of a large service station on the western side of the PWR on vacant land just south of the Bolivar Road intersection. Is this to replace the Caltex just to the north ?