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

[Norman]

Great vid, I was waiting for you to do this one because with your setup it's possible to see beyond the barriers (which you can't really appreciate when in a standard car).

Although, unless I've been oblivious in my thinking this whole time, isn't the new bridge parallel to PRExy east-bound and not west-bound?

Yep, that was a silly error on my part. I'll double check my bearings next time before publishing.

[Ho Really]

[...]

Feedback would be much appreciated!

Perhaps add a permanent caption in the bottom left corner in each segment so we know the direction of travel. Also add slow-mo when nearing overhead signs and then back to speed. The music was a little sombre at times not matching your speed. Just suggestions otherwise a good video.

I did like one comment on your channel (and I noticed this too) that you should be in the left lane if not overtaking. However you are excused as you were doing a service for us.

Cheers

[ChillyPhilly]

Great vid, I was waiting for you to do this one because with your setup it's possible to see beyond the barriers (which you can't really appreciate when in a standard car).

Although, unless I've been oblivious in my thinking this whole time, isn't the new bridge parallel to PRExy east-bound and not west-bound?

Yep, that was a silly error on my part. I'll double check my bearings next time before publishing.

You can just add an annotation over the top of (or near) the text for an easy patch job.

[mawsonguy]

From the Government Gazette 17 October 2019:

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ACT 1991
FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION
Notice of Intention to Assign Names to Bridges and Bike Path
NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of the above Act, that the Minister for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure seeks public comment on a proposal to:-
1. Assign the name of Harry Taylor Warritja Bridge to the bridge at the Bolivar Interchange along the Northern Connector.
2. Assign the name of Kawanta Wama Bridge to the bridge at the Waterloo Corner Interchange along the Northern Connector.
3. Assign the name of Tapa Martinthi Yala to the shared bike path adjacent to the Northern Connector.
Copies of the plan showing the extent of the subject area can be viewed at the Office of the Surveyor-General, 101 Grenfell Street, Adelaide.
Submissions in writing regarding this proposal may be lodged with the Surveyor-General, GPO Box 1354, SA 5001, within one month of the publication of this notice.

[Hooligan]

Is this really going to be finished this year?

Now im no civil engineer or tonka toy driver but just by looking at the interchanges i find it highly unlikely.

[ChillyPhilly]

Is this really going to be finished this year?

Now im no civil engineer or tonka toy driver but just by looking at the interchanges i find it highly unlikely.

I wonder the same thing. The section of the project I see frequently is the Southern Interchange. There are a few bits and pieces to do there:
- Completing the new eastbound PRExy carriageway.
- Completing the Superway-to-PRExy offramp (the largest 'loop', for those unfamiliar) and its exit lane(s).
- Completing the new westbound Connector-to-PRExy offramp.
- Construction of the new PRExy carriageways, lanes and final surfacing throughout the vicinity (hoping that Salisbury Highway gets a desperately needed resurfacing throughout).

[SBD]

Is this really going to be finished this year?

Now im no civil engineer or tonka toy driver but just by looking at the interchanges i find it highly unlikely.

I wonder the same thing. The section of the project I see frequently is the Southern Interchange. There are a few bits and pieces to do there:
- Completing the new eastbound PRExy carriageway.
- Completing the Superway-to-PRExy offramp (the largest 'loop', for those unfamiliar) and its exit lane(s).
- Completing the new westbound Connector-to-PRExy offramp.
- Construction of the new PRExy carriageways, lanes and final surfacing throughout the vicinity (hoping that Salisbury Highway gets a desperately needed resurfacing throughout).

Has it been promised/declared on-track to be finished in 2019, or to be open to traffic in 2019? T2T opened a number of months before the project was completed.

The original Lend-Lease Gantt chart showed that the southern interchange was the critical path, and the others would have some slack in the schedules. Waterloo Corner Road looks close to complete. Bolivar Road is complex and hard to see from driving past, so I have no idea about it. Someone who has driven in to the waste water treatment plant might have an idea? Northern Interchange also looks a bit off completion, but the complexity there is that the final southbound NExy-NC carriageway crosses the temporary northbound PWR-Nexy carriageway, which can't be closed until there is an alternative provided.

[mawsonguy]

It rather depends on what you mean by "open". I can foresee a situation where, due to political pressure, they open the northbound\southbound carriageways before completion of all the off ramps and on ramps.

The main carriageway through the southern interchange is close to completion. The bottleneck may be the bridge over Baker Inlet. As of a couple of weeks ago (when I was last able to get a good look at it) they still had some decking, guardrails, lighting, earthworks at each end and concrete carriageway at each end to complete on the Baker Inlet bridge. There was also some work left to do at the Dry Creek bridge.

[Goodsy]

They need to get northbound open first so they can finish the northern interchange.

Unless they plan on cutting off the right turn onto the Northern Expressway at PWR and rerouting all the traffic through Waterloo Corner

[SBD]

They need to get northbound open first so they can finish the northern interchange.

Unless they plan on cutting off the right turn onto the Northern Expressway at PWR and rerouting all the traffic through Waterloo Corner

Agreed. Northbound through the northern interchange needs to be the first part of the main freeway to open. Practicality says that there is enough traffic that the entire northbound carriageway needs to open before the temporary off ramp from PWR to NExy can be closed, as the Waterloo Corner bridge/roundabout plus Heaslip Road are unlikely to take the traffic for more than a week (if even that long).

I expect all northbound bits to be open for the first weekend of the school holidays, and perhaps the temporary off ramp closed at the end of the first weekend to connect the southbound continuation at the northern interchange in the week and a half before Christmas.

We need an insider at either Lend-Lease or DPTI with access to a detailed Gantt chart of closures, openings and completions.

[mawsonguy]

Drone footage of the Southern Interchange and a bit on the Waterloo Corner Interchange which appears to have been taken about 2 weeks ago. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=sea ... 0connector

[aaronjameslange]

With only 5 weeks till the construction industry break for Christmas / new year there is still heaps to do at the southern, Bolivar and northern interchanges. I don't think the general public will be driving on the NC till at least January or even later.

[aaronjameslange]

With only 5 weeks till the construction industry break for Christmas / new year there is still heaps to do at the southern, Bolivar and northern interchanges. I don't think the general public will be driving on the NC till at least January or even later.

[SBD]

With only 5 weeks till the construction industry break for Christmas / new year there is still heaps to do at the southern, Bolivar and northern interchanges. I don't think the general public will be driving on the NC till at least January or even later.

It looked like asphalt was laid today somewhere on the south side of the Port Wakefield Road bridge at the northern interchange. I was driving past so couldn't look closely, but there was at least one laying machine and four semi-trailers to feed it on the mound.

Does anyone know what the current access to the Bolivar treatment works is? That might give a clue to how much has to be done in that area.

More night road closures at the southern interchange this week could change it again too.

[flat04]

I heard on the weekend from someone working on the project that it would be opening for the last week in January.