[U/C] M2 North-South Motorway

[rhino]

... and if we get this, we get the NBN

[muzzamo]

Just a question.... Why would they choose a sunken road ahead of a tunnel?

Its a multi-million dollar question, as that is how much they had spend on the study into how best to do all of this.

Get your hands on the study and you will have your answer.

I'm looking forward to seeing more renders/video of this one when it is inevitably released later on today.

Personally I'm more in favor of the darlington project as it benefits me more . I would be more in favor of either if there were any measures included to tackle induced demand (tolls, congestion charges) included.

[[Shuz]]

Now that the cat's out of the bag...

My thoughts on the central section summed up nicely.

[muzzamo]

From indaily (no idea how to direct-link)

THE State Government will match Federal Government funding of $448 million to widen and upgrade South Road between Torrens Road and Grange Road.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said this morning the project will start before the end of June by bringing $25 million forward into this financial year.

State Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis said 120 properties needed to be demolished to allow the widening of the road, and the government had already purchased 40 per cent of the required houses.

He said departmental staff would be doorknocking today to begin discussions with property owners.

Koutsantonis also warned that the engineering task – to deal with the bottlenecks of the Outer Harbour rail line, Port Road and Grange Road – would be challenging and called for the community’s patience.

“It’s going to be a very, very long and complicated build,” he told FiveAA breakfast.

The project would take four years to complete, “at worst”.

The new project funds include the cost of relocating the SA Power Network sub-station on the corner of Port Road and South Road, previously estimated to cost $200 million.

“We have been in discussions with the State Government about the various options regarding relocation of the Croydon sub-station and its significant supporting infrastructure,” SA Power Networks spokesman Paul Roberts told Indaily this morning.

“As is the standard practice, the relocation costs would have to be borne by the State Government as the project’s proponent.”

Indaily understands that under the current proposals, the relocation costs are now below the previous estimate of $200 million.

A spokesman for Koutsantonis confirmed the total cost of the project, $996 million, includes relocating the sub-station.

Today’s pre-Budget announcement brings the project back onto the books after being put on hold until after completion of the Superway, further north on South Road.

“The State Government has identified this as the most pressing and most urgent project for South Australia,” Albanese told ABC Radio.

“It is ready to go.

“We’ve allocated $448 million – which will be matched by the State Government – for 1.4 kilometres of below the ground road, two new interchanges and one rail overpass.”

Federal Liberal MP for the southern suburbs seat of Boothby, Andrew Southcott, said the northern end works were the wrong priority.

‘The State Infrastructure Plan and press releases from 2007 and 2008 and 2009 said the next priority after the Superway was the Sturt Road intersection,” he said.

“That’s where the works need to be.”

The Liberal Opposition announced its plan for a $500 million upgrade of that area last month.

However, Koutsantonis argued that the section of South Road between Torrens Road and Grange Road was prone to bottlenecks and was only one-lane each way in some places.

“Everyone in South Australia accepts it’s the worst part of South Road,” he said.

In a statement later in the morning, Premier Jay Weatherill said the 3.7km section of South Road to be upgraded carried between 33,000 and 52,000 vehicles per day.

“We needed a solution to this section of road that can accommodate forecast increased traffic volumes 20 years from now and one that ultimately provides a faster, more efficient and safer route for South Road and surrounding traffic,” Weatherill said.

“The project will lower a section of the roadway between Torrens Road and the River Torrens, reducing bottleneck traffic disruptions while retaining pedestrian, cyclist and local traffic crossings at ground level.

“A lowered roadway under Grange and Port roads will enable better movement for passing traffic while addressing congestion issues along that strategic north-south corridor.

“By taking the Outer Harbour line above South Road, we will also create an opportunity for an elevated rail station at Croydon that eliminates the need for two level crossings.”

The statement said further “community engagement” would be required to finalise the project’s design, with “Community Reference Groups” to focus on specific issues. Open days will also be held so locals can meet with the project team.

South Road has been an on-again off-again project since 2005 when the Royal Automobile Association (RAA) released its recommendations citing South Road as the poorest road in the state, registering a 2/10 on the RAA’s scale.

In August 2007, leading up to the 2007 election, the then Prime Minister John Howard announced that South Road was to be included in the AusLink National Road Network, and pledged $1 billion in funding for the project between 2007 and 2020.

In the lead up to the 2010 State and Federal elections, October 2009, State Premier Mike Rann and then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd released plans for the South Road Superway- a 3.8 kilometre section of elevated freeway running from the Port River Expressway to the intersection of Regency Road at a cost of $800million.

The project started in 2010 and is due for completion by late 2013, early 2014.

Indaily reported in December last year that the South Road Superway, due to be open to traffic this year, was set to channel more traffic into the under-pressure section of South Road between Regency Road and the Gallipoli Underpass.

However, then Transport and Infrastructure Minister Pat Conlon told Indaily the Government had decided to shelve the study looking at options for upgrading this section of South Road because there was no money to undertake the project.

The study, which started in February 2011 as part of a federally-funded package to investigate Adelaide’s north-south corridor, was due to report on its preferred concept in December.

“A great deal of planning is well advanced, particularly on the section of South Road from Regency Road to the River Torrens,” Conlon said in a statement.

“However, given the current financial circumstances, there is no project that we intend to propose to the community at this point in time.

“I will continue to talk to the Commonwealth about the likelihood of future funding and the timing of it.”

When asked about the status of the study last week, a spokesman for Koutsantonis told Indaily: “The study is being analysed with any results, including options and priorities along South Road, subject to discussions with the Commonwealth Government.”

[Patrick_27]

I'd rather vote for labor in the knowledge that this proposal will go ahead; and that federal funding for the Northern Connector, Darlington Interchange and electrification of the remaining rail-lines is within reach and on the drawing board. Rather than vote Lib's and get our one Darlington Interchange and that be it for ten years.

However, one thing I do wonder; why not have this proposal run from Regency Road to the Torrens River, create a free-flowing freeway/expressway grade road all the way through, then they don't have to re-visit that small chunk of South Road in the future and can focus on what lies South of the Torrens River..

[Norman]

Website is now up:
http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/sou ... er_torrens

Project brochure:
http://infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__data/ ... _pages.pdf

[Shahkar]

The animation looks amazing except for the unelectrified Outer Harbour line which is pretty discouraging. Hopefully, they electrify it as well in the process of spending so much on the line.

[muzzamo]

The animation looks amazing except for the unelectrified Outer Harbour line which is pretty discouraging. If they are spending so much by under grounding it and then make an overpass, why not electrify it as well? Hopefully, they plan to do this with the other upgrades.

The animation is concerned with the south road project, which is pretty much isolated to electrification. Electrification is "on hold", although it will happen eventually

[adam73837]

It looks good, but I have to agree with Patrick here. Basically we're going to have two free flowing sections of road with two intersections between them. This is where it'd be nice to see the results of that planning study. I mean it looks like the Federal Government/Opposition are keen to upgrade South Rd, so why not show them a longer term plan to show that we're serious about this?

[neoballmon]

This is great news, but has already been mentioned, a little disappointing that Torrens Road, Pym Street and Regency Road will all be signalised intersections, even if they're upgraded..

From indaily (no idea how to direct-link)

Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said this morning the project will start before the end of June by bringing $25 million forward into this financial year.

June is before the election. I know this will only be site works, possibly some property demolition, but if starting that early, maybe this won't even rely on Labor winning the election.

[rhino]

June is before the election. I know this will only be site works, possibly some property demolition, but if starting that early, maybe this won't even rely on Labor winning the election.

I dare say they want to spend enough money to make it not worth stopping the momentum, ensuring that this project goes ahead, which would probably mean the Libs' proposal (Darlington) getting postponed, or shelved for the time being (maybe the election after...)

[rev]

This is great news, but has already been mentioned, a little disappointing that Torrens Road, Pym Street and Regency Road will all be signalised intersections, even if they're upgraded..

This stage doesn't go up to Pym Street or Regency Road.
That section(between the SuperWay and Torrens Rd) is not part of this stage.

[neoballmon]

Regency is being upgraded thorough the Superway project is what I was referring to. And Torrens will in this project. I know Pym isn't part of either project though.

[adam73837]

I had a look on the DPTI Website and it appears that all they're going to do North of the Outer Harbour Line is upgrade the surface of South Road. So essentially, there are going to be at least 3 sets of traffic lights between the Outer Harbour Line and the Superway. Don't get me wrong, I welcome this upgrade with open arms, but it'd be good to see some continuity here.

[neoballmon]

I had a look on the DPTI Website and it appears that all they're going to do North of the Outer Harbour Line is upgrade the surface of South Road. So essentially, there are going to be at least 3 sets of traffic lights between the Outer Harbour Line and the Superway. Don't get me wrong, I welcome this upgrade with open arms, but it'd be good to see some continuity here.

The first article (I assume by AdelaideNow) states

SINKING 1.4 km of the road below the surface - allowing three overpasses at Hawker St, Port Rd and Grange Rd.

But there is no mention of this in Indaily's article, or on the DPTI site. Additionally, from the "Road Access" tab on the website:

There are many local roads that connect directly to the existing South Road. The way these roads connect to South Road has contributed to the excessive delays to traffic and to a proportion of the crashes along this section of South Road. Some of these local roads will be either partially or fully closed to South Road. For safer access to Croydon and Ridleyton, Hurtle Street will be connected to South Road to form a full intersection with Hawker Street.

So it seems they're making this a 4-way intersection. But by doing so, can close a lot of western streets off, and remove more right turns.