[U/C] M2 North-South Motorway

[rev]

The Harrison Road reserve is really noticeable in the first picture (row of trees on the left side opposite Coopers Brewery), does anybody know the history of why Harrison Road wasn't built (or was it unbuilt) it would have been very useful with the drama that is the closing of Pym Street and bus routes.

No idea. But I really think not putting Pym st under the motorway is a mistake. On T2T Hawker streets access to South Road was maintained with a bridge over the trench. Cutting off Pym st will just force more cars into nearby side streets and increase congestion at the Regency Rd/South Rd intersection. Something like the Rosseta street underpass surely wouldn't have been that difficult to include.

[claybro]

The Harrison Road reserve is really noticeable in the first picture (row of trees on the left side opposite Coopers Brewery), does anybody know the history of why Harrison Road wasn't built (or was it unbuilt) it would have been very useful with the drama that is the closing of Pym Street and bus routes.

No idea. But I really think not putting Pym st under the motorway is a mistake. On T2T Hawker streets access to South Road was maintained with a bridge over the trench. Cutting off Pym st will just force more cars into nearby side streets and increase congestion at the Regency Rd/South Rd intersection. Something like the Rosseta street underpass surely wouldn't have been that difficult to include.

Never noticed the Harrison Road reserve before, although always wondered why there is scrub there adjacent to Regency Road-but never gave it much thought, and didn't realize it was a proper road reserve. IS it some sort of drainage easement?

Re Pym street. have to agree with this Rev, and it makes a mockery of the gov even considering a 10km long multi billion dollar tunnel (as if) when they wont even cough up the relatively small amount to assist local traffic flow east and west of the Motorway at that point.

[SouthAussie94]

Sutton and Mimosa had a bridge built across the Motorway at Darlington and they are much less significant thoroughfares than Pym St is. Does seem like a very short sighted decision

[Spotto]

No idea. But I really think not putting Pym st under the motorway is a mistake. On T2T Hawker streets access to South Road was maintained with a bridge over the trench. Cutting off Pym st will just force more cars into nearby side streets and increase congestion at the Regency Rd/South Rd intersection. Something like the Rosseta street underpass surely wouldn't have been that difficult to include.

Sutton and Mimosa had a bridge built across the Motorway at Darlington and they are much less significant thoroughfares than Pym St is. Does seem like a very short sighted decision

In the grand scheme it probably wouldn't have been hard to add a Pym Street underpass beneath the motorway corridor. It definitely would've had to be much longer than the Rosetta Street underpass which is very steep and incredibly narrow with only a small amount of height clearance, especially to fit the local bus. But ignoring the few noisemakers that would've compained about their houses being bulldozed for the underpass and focusing on everyone else that wouldn't be cut off by the motorway, the benefit surely outweighs the limits.

[Saltwater]

I made the mistake of heading north from Brickworks towards Regency Road on the NSM this morning. What an [expletive] disaster. Its like they've gone out of their way to be as disruptive as possible with the construction, with multiple mergers into single lane heading north creating huge delays, all so that some minor earthworks can be completed off to the side of the road. Traffic arrangements even prior to works commencing were never great with two lanes passing through, you'd hope as a minimum they could maintain that at all times through the construction. Especially given they've mostly wiped out homes and businesses on both sides so have around 100m to work with.

Meanwhile, for the remaining section there was a lot of chatter about a cut & cover tunnel option last week. It looks like someone's requested a quote on a TBM hire for a few years and then freaked out. I can see the argument in avoiding the sunken costs of going with a TBM, but still don't see how they get cut & cover tunnels through Thebarton & Mile End without wiping out one and probably both rows of houses and businesses along South Road. Unless its double-stacked, if that's even an option?

[SBD]

I made the mistake of heading north from Brickworks towards Regency Road on the NSM this morning. What an [expletive] disaster. Its like they've gone out of their way to be as disruptive as possible with the construction, with multiple mergers into single lane heading north creating huge delays, all so that some minor earthworks can be completed off to the side of the road. Traffic arrangements even prior to works commencing were never great with two lanes passing through, you'd hope as a minimum they could maintain that at all times through the construction. Especially given they've mostly wiped out homes and businesses on both sides so have around 100m to work with.

Meanwhile, for the remaining section there was a lot of chatter about a cut & cover tunnel option last week. It looks like someone's requested a quote on a TBM hire for a few years and then freaked out. I can see the argument in avoiding the sunken costs of going with a TBM, but still don't see how they get cut & cover tunnels through Thebarton & Mile End without wiping out one and probably both rows of houses and businesses along South Road. Unless its double-stacked, if that's even an option?

I suspect they will have to take a deep breath, and accept that the plan developed under the previous government was the only viable solution?

[claybro]

I made the mistake of heading north from Brickworks towards Regency Road on the NSM this morning. What an [expletive] disaster. Its like they've gone out of their way to be as disruptive as possible with the construction, with multiple mergers into single lane heading north creating huge delays, all so that some minor earthworks can be completed off to the side of the road. Traffic arrangements even prior to works commencing were never great with two lanes passing through, you'd hope as a minimum they could maintain that at all times through the construction. Especially given they've mostly wiped out homes and businesses on both sides so have around 100m to work with.

Meanwhile, for the remaining section there was a lot of chatter about a cut & cover tunnel option last week. It looks like someone's requested a quote on a TBM hire for a few years and then freaked out. I can see the argument in avoiding the sunken costs of going with a TBM, but still don't see how they get cut & cover tunnels through Thebarton & Mile End without wiping out one and probably both rows of houses and businesses along South Road. Unless its double-stacked, if that's even an option?

As per the previous government proposal, Thebarton/Mile end was to be a tunnel, the rest a trench and/or elevated. All of these have now been previously practiced successfully in SA. Only the tunnel construction will vary from the Heysen Tunnel method. It is no surprise we are back at square one 3 years later.

[SBD]

I made the mistake of heading north from Brickworks towards Regency Road on the NSM this morning. What an [expletive] disaster. Its like they've gone out of their way to be as disruptive as possible with the construction, with multiple mergers into single lane heading north creating huge delays, all so that some minor earthworks can be completed off to the side of the road. Traffic arrangements even prior to works commencing were never great with two lanes passing through, you'd hope as a minimum they could maintain that at all times through the construction. Especially given they've mostly wiped out homes and businesses on both sides so have around 100m to work with.

Meanwhile, for the remaining section there was a lot of chatter about a cut & cover tunnel option last week. It looks like someone's requested a quote on a TBM hire for a few years and then freaked out. I can see the argument in avoiding the sunken costs of going with a TBM, but still don't see how they get cut & cover tunnels through Thebarton & Mile End without wiping out one and probably both rows of houses and businesses along South Road. Unless its double-stacked, if that's even an option?

As per the previous government proposal, Thebarton/Mile end was to be a tunnel, the rest a trench and/or elevated. All of these have now been previously practiced successfully in SA. Only the tunnel construction will vary from the Heysen Tunnel method. It is no surprise we are back at square one 3 years later.

What we don't know is how well-developed the planning was beyond the published "strategy". Had the department or government actually given any thought to actual project delivery, or only "this is how we think it could be"? The opposition is surprisingly quiet about telling us how easy it would be, if they actually had a plan anywhere near ready to go, so I suspect it has never existed.

[Eurostar]

I wouldnt want to give too much away so close to a State Election neither, knowing that SA Liberals will just steal it and take credit for it.

[Columbo]

The Harrison Road reserve is really noticeable in the first picture (row of trees on the left side opposite Coopers Brewery), does anybody know the history of why Harrison Road wasn't built (or was it unbuilt) it would have been very useful with the drama that is the closing of Pym Street and bus routes.

No idea. But I really think not putting Pym st under the motorway is a mistake. On T2T Hawker streets access to South Road was maintained with a bridge over the trench. Cutting off Pym st will just force more cars into nearby side streets and increase congestion at the Regency Rd/South Rd intersection. Something like the Rosseta street underpass surely wouldn't have been that difficult to include.

Never noticed the Harrison Road reserve before, although always wondered why there is scrub there adjacent to Regency Road-but never gave it much thought, and didn't realize it was a proper road reserve. IS it some sort of drainage easement?

Re Pym street. have to agree with this Rev, and it makes a mockery of the gov even considering a 10km long multi billion dollar tunnel (as if) when they wont even cough up the relatively small amount to assist local traffic flow east and west of the Motorway at that point.

Believe that many years ago there may have been a drain running through what is now known as Janice Jensen Reserve and possibly across Harrison Rd down as far as Simpson Avenue.

Port Enfield Council are implementing a number of traffic management changes to combat the changed traffic flow in the area, will include roundabouts and raised roads at some back street intersections.

As a local, I understand why that have done what they have done (closing East - West) but it has a massive impact on residents on either side of South Rd, heard that the cost was prohibitive for anything to be done with Pym St corner because services were undergrounded there as part of the T2T project and these would have needed to have been redone.

Those who use a GPS to get around (ubers, taxis, food deliveries etc) are being led on a wild goose chase at the moment because they are being directed to dead ends and no right turn streets.

[rev]

Heavy construction on South Rd fix unlikely to start until 2024, but hundreds of early jobs

Industry figures have been told that heavy construction on the long-awaited upgrades to the final stretches of the South Road freeway are unlikely to start until late in 2024.

A construction sector industry briefing published by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, dated August 4, features a timeline for the North-South Corridor project and shows work expected this year on a business case as well as approvals and early enabling work.

But formal construction is not slated until after mid- 2024. The Government says the early works, planned between this year and 2024, will employ hundreds of people.

The State Government is yet to decide if it will opt for a twin tunnel to complete the works in built-up areas around Anzac Highway, or go for road widening at the surface.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said that documents revealed yet another delay on the infrastructure project, when SA desperately needed to stimulate activity.

“This delay and indecision from Premier Steven Marshall on South Road is not just costing us a corridor that is an important piece of infrastructure, but jobs when we need it most,” he said.

“They have done nothing (since being elected).

“All of the projects that were announced and funded under Labor are now either finished, or coming to an end and not being replaced”.

Latest ABS figures show SA has added 20,000 jobs in the past two months as coronavirus restrictions have begun to lift. But there are still 70,900 South Australians who want a job and can’t find one, 19,800 more people than in January.

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe and Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday urged state governments to spend much more on infrastructure to accelerate the economic recovery.

Mr Marshall was the first state leader to announce a local stimulus package, and has committed about $1 billion. However, he has been criticised by the Opposition for spending less than other states when measured as a proportion of the local economy.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Corey Wingard said all timelines provided on South Road had been indicative and it was important to get the design and build right.

“We can’t and won’t rush a decision of this magnitude which will deliver one of the biggest job creating projects in the state’s history,” he said.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 8b5f76c373

[rev]

As a local, I understand why that have done what they have done (closing East - West) but it has a massive impact on residents on either side of South Rd, heard that the cost was prohibitive for anything to be done with Pym St corner because services were undergrounded there as part of the T2T project and these would have needed to have been redone.

Which comes down to poor planning or lack of planning for the entire corridor as a whole. Even still it's a piss poor excuse with examples of much less frequently used roads having access maintained elsewhere along the corridor. They're spending billions on this overall project, what's a few tens of millions more to do a small part of it properly?

[SBD]

I wouldnt want to give too much away so close to a State Election neither, knowing that SA Liberals will just steal it and take credit for it.

If the proper planning had been done by the department, rather than just the pretty pictures and glossy overview, it would not be Cabinet-confidential and blocked from the incoming government. Engineers doing detailed design would have been hired by government, not by the political party. The fact that nobody has said anything about shovel-ready plans - in the ALP or the DPTI - suggests to me that they never existed. The alternative is that the current ALP political leadership has disowned the prep work done by their own predecessors.

[Nort]

Upgrades to South Road had been going on continually for a decade prior to the state Labor government leaving office, it seems most likely to me that planning for this remaining section was on track for it to naturally follow on from the current Regency Road section. However they have now been out of office for 2 and a half years, the fact that plans weren't finalised years before they needed to be isn't on them.

[ChillyPhilly]

If we're talking politics, then it can be said the Liberals have had sufficient time to plan and finalise - and maybe even commence - the next section after R2P.