RAA - Backwater to Benchmark

[Aidan]

Also, that showed a 3 lane underpass at anzac highway and the same at cross roads why would you demolish a perfectly good overpass?.

I think that part of the video is mislabelled. What you're seeing is the Glenelg Tramway going over South Road, and the Emerson Overpass appears in the background just before that scene fades out.

And now the controversial bit: I don't think the plan's that good!

For a start, the cost estimate is wildly optimistic. Extrapolating from early estimates of the cost of a much shorter tunnel doesn't seem to be a good way of estimating the cost of a tunnel a few km long, especially one that goes under the River Torrens! And the land acquisition for the widening of South Road to 3 lanes each way would also be very expensive.

This plan would not even make South Road free flowing. For that you'd have to provide grade separated crossing points for pedestrians and block off or grade separate all right turns and other roads that cross South Road. The ones where overpasses and underpasses are proposed are not enough - consider Edward Street (Melrose Park) that is part of a bus route. As, for that matter, is Flinders Drive! And the video shows they're not even planning to grade separate the Southern Expressway - South Road junction at Bedford Park!

I know from what I've seen in London that roads like South Road CAN be entirely grade separated, and even partial grade separation can bring significant benefits. But is doing so cost effective on South Road? Apart from the major bottlenecks that the state government has already committed to fix, I think not.

Improving our rail infrastructure so that it provides a viable alternative for more people should take priority, as this would reduce the number of vehicles on the road, and would not reach capacity so quickly, and its journey times wouldn't be significantly affected by the number of people using it.

Eventually, when SA's rich from all the mining activity, and the Southern Expressway is two way throughout (plus a railway alongside Stage 1) it would be a good idea to build a North-South tollway, but that would probably be better suited to a new alignment (mostly underground, but with some elevated sections in non-residential areas). But trying to turn South Road into a freeway is not such a practical solution. Even if it were widened, it would still become gridlocked in the peaks.

[AG]

The video is correct. The underpass seems to end just before the existing overpass.

[Cruise]

thanks Aidan ive noticed that now since watching it again it is the tram line it goes under not cross road but still, i shows a 3 lane each way underpass at anzac highway and thats not happening.

[shuza]

Its two lanes... What is the goverment thinking!

[shaun]

What do you mean, what is the government thinking

South Road is a 4 lane road.

[shuza]

2 lanes each way = 4 lanes. Im aware its a 4 lane road overall, I live 1 street away from it thankyou.

Considering the amount of land theyve acquired to build the underpass it can easily accomodate 3 lanes each way. I know South Road is 2 lanes at either end of the underpass, but if its made 3 lanes theres 'planning for the future' if the road were to be widenened and no more costs would need to be covered to make the underpass likewise.

The part of the road affecting me the most, and Ive always visioned an open-cut approach to upgrading South Road between the underpass and the tramline. Streets running across the road would have their own bridges. But not the ones that have no ongoing street on the other side - Hence dead end terminus. The open-cut allows the road to remain at underpass ground level all the way to the tramline, and then only needs to slope up again at Emerson overpass.

[shaun]

South Road will never been widenened to 6 lanes, the cost would run into the billions.

Plus the amount of businesses and residents that would be affected it would turn into a war. South Road should of been made a 6 lane freeway decades ago.

[shuza]

Is it fair to say that we should just give up all hope for a SUCCESSFUL conclusion to South Road or a North/South freeway in that case?

Over the years there has been so much bickering and fretting and nyar! Its not worth it.

[jimmy_2486]

I believe that the over/underpasses will all get done in due time but that big tunnel going from port road to Richmond road will take miracle to get going.

However the tunnel needs to happen. Even if they get a private company to build and toll that massive tunnel because it will just cause a bigger bottleneck around that area, as cars will be flying on south road in both directions, and get stuck there!!

I live between Marion and south road and can tell you that a lot of the traffic on goodwood road and Marion road is there because they DO NOT want to go on south road even though it is a shorter route. I do it all the time and I bet a lot of you people would as well!!

If the middle of south road gets tolled people will still use it I believe. In the beginning people will be stingy and not use it as we are not used to paying to use roads. Then basically Marion/goodwood/Churchill and all alternative routes will get so jam packed that people will wake up and realize they cant be stingy and use the damn tollway.

Also they should keep the old south road that goes on top of the tunnel for local traffic (and for the stingy) with ramps to go on that road instead of the tunnel.

Maybe also other tunnels would be nice to take south road to west/north tce intersection and to south/west tce intersection to provide easier access from the city to this new infrastructure!! (or maybe I am dreaming!!)