[U/C] M2 North-South Motorway

[[Shuz]]

The updated detailed project map highlights so many flaws with this motorway design, I could write an essay.

The southern tunnels literally start 2 blocks south of Daws Road. It would probably be cheaper to extend the open trench further north beyond Daws Road and provide diamond interchange access to/from Daws Road to improve connectivity.

Removal of the Emerson level rail crossing is all but dead. The only option would be to demolish the overpass and have elevated rail over the intersection.

Anzac Highway is a clusterfuck. It doesn't look like the existing underpass will be widened and will be an incredibly tight squeeze fitting 3x3 lanes. I'm very concerned about the potential for crash conflicts between cars getting off the freeway turning left onto Anzac Highway and cars travelling northbound on South Road wanting to turn right onto Anzac Highway. This will be a big problem and justifies why the overpass was needed in the first place. Same concerns go for the James Congdon Drive off ramp - if you want to exit there to merge into South Road, you have to contend with conflicting merging traffic coming off South Road northbound/Richmond Road accessing the JCD overpass - which there will be a lot of traffic because of the Mile End home maker centre and its the only access northbound now.

Interesting to note they specifically said the freeway would not encroach on Hindmarsh Cemetery, yet lo and behold, it will. Sneaky.

Still no fix to the southbound exit from NS motorway onto Port Road which is a nightmare in peak hour. The slip lane is too short and only one lane, incredibly underequipped to deal with the increasing volume of traffic.

[Patrick_27]

The updated detailed project map highlights so many flaws with this motorway design, I could write an essay.

The southern tunnels literally start 2 blocks south of Daws Road. It would probably be cheaper to extend the open trench further north beyond Daws Road and provide diamond interchange access to/from Daws Road to improve connectivity.

Removal of the Emerson level rail crossing is all but dead. The only option would be to demolish the overpass and have elevated rail over the intersection.

Anzac Highway is a clusterfuck. It doesn't look like the existing underpass will be widened and will be an incredibly tight squeeze fitting 3x3 lanes. I'm very concerned about the potential for crash conflicts between cars getting off the freeway turning left onto Anzac Highway and cars travelling northbound on South Road wanting to turn right onto Anzac Highway. This will be a big problem and justifies why the overpass was needed in the first place. Same concerns go for the James Congdon Drive off ramp - if you want to exit there to merge into South Road, you have to contend with conflicting merging traffic coming off South Road northbound/Richmond Road accessing the JCD overpass - which there will be a lot of traffic because of the Mile End home maker centre and its the only access northbound now.

Interesting to note they specifically said the freeway would not encroach on Hindmarsh Cemetery, yet lo and behold, it will. Sneaky.

Still no fix to the southbound exit from NS motorway onto Port Road which is a nightmare in peak hour. The slip lane is too short and only one lane, incredibly underequipped to deal with the increasing volume of traffic.

I could have told you that without reading the detailed project map. Just look at what's been promised versus what's been delivered with previous section upgrades of South Road. The flyover bridges at Darlington have a very steep incline and take off from the literal boundary of the Monroe plant (which should have been acquired during the project to allow for a wider interchange; the Torrens to Torrens section is a roller coaster and there's not a part of that section of road that is flat, plus the fact that Port Road doesn't feature a proper interchange but has short entry/exit lanes whereby you're exiting into oncoming traffic from South Road is hilarious. The section of ground level motorway between Regency Road and the Superway feels like the tack on that it is (again which a terrible exit onto Regency Road when headed south, and the two exits on the super way see the elevated road dip to accommodate for it rather than have the entry/exit roads simply meet at the Superway's height; finally, the lack of interchange lighting on the northern connector and northern expressway. The only section of road that seems to have been well-done, is Pym Street to Regency Road, and Darlington after between Sturt Road and the Southern Expressway (both of which were either commissioned by a Liberal state government or planned in conjunction with a federal Liberal government). I'm not typically a Liberal voter, but every section of this road that they have contributed to the greater north-south motorway has project has been done on the cheap, and it shows and no doubt will presents issues as the volumes of motorists start piling onto this road once the tunnels are complete.

[Listy]

The updated detailed project map highlights so many flaws with this motorway design, I could write an essay.

I've stared at the Richmond Rd intersection for far too long and still can't work out how all the left and right turning lanes work. Plus I cant wait for all that passive green space to be turned into it's true roadside form - lots of bitumen and 20mm roadbase, jazzed up with a few dead and dying coral gums.

[Llessur2002]

The updated detailed project map highlights so many flaws with this motorway design, I could write an essay.

Plus I cant wait for all that passive green space to be turned into it's true roadside form - lots of bitumen and 20mm roadbase, jazzed up with a few dead and dying coral gums.

Exactly what I was thinking. The outcome of the T2T landscaping vs the renders is laughable.

[rev]

Who will be responsible for maintaining the green spaces, the department or council?

Or will it be farmed out to one of those road maintenance firms that seem to do nothing other then drive their trucks with flashing flights very slowly and all hazard lights flashing so you never know if they're suddenly about to change lane or turn...

[Nathan]

On the topic of the lanes around the Richmond Rd intersection — now I'm a confident rider, but I would not venture near these death traps they call bike lanes in a million years. The chance of being sideswiped by a car or bus moving to the slip lane (and then on the other side flying around the corner) would approach the singularity.

[rev]

With the billions being spent you'd think they'd be able to come up with something other then painted lines.

[Spotto]

Geez! They really need a segregated cycle path like they added at Darlington.

Paint is not infrastructure.

[ChillyPhilly]

Yes, that is shocking.

This is not the definition of the 'separate cycling infrastructure' that significant feedback requested.

$15b and it's still not right.

[Nort]

That Richmond Road intersection is one that triples the amount of road crossings kids have to make to get to the school. All the talk of amenities and pedestrian and cycling links is, and always is, nothing more than half hearted hand waves.

[mawsonguy]

Still no fix to the southbound exit from NS motorway onto Port Road which is a nightmare in peak hour. The slip lane is too short and only one lane, incredibly underequipped to deal with the increasing volume of traffic.

Totally agree. I've been saying this in surveys and at information booths et al for years but it doesn't even get a mention in the official pubs. It's like an episode of "Yes Minister" where Sir Humphrey Appelby tells the minister that you never do a survey or focus group without first deciding the answers you want.

[rev]

The updated detailed project map highlights so many flaws with this motorway design, I could write an essay.

Plus I cant wait for all that passive green space to be turned into it's true roadside form - lots of bitumen and 20mm roadbase, jazzed up with a few dead and dying coral gums.

Exactly what I was thinking. The outcome of the T2T landscaping vs the renders is laughable.

The landscaping at the start of the trench at Hindmarsh is all still pretty green..trees are pretty matured now as well.
Crazy that they kept this section all greened up only to be ripping it up a few short years later, while further up the trench route it's heavily neglected if not outright ignored.

[Llessur2002]

The landscaping at the start of the trench at Hindmarsh is all still pretty green..trees are pretty matured now as well.
Crazy that they kept this section all greened up only to be ripping it up a few short years later, while further up the trench route it's heavily neglected if not outright ignored.

What's there and what has survived is in OK condition - although the closer you look more problems you can spot. For example, of the 100 or so Claret Ashes that were planted along the surface roads, about half have needed to be replaced because, surprise surprise, being planted into compacted roadbase leads to trees which can't root properly and end up blowing over. The replacement trees were simply planted back into the same compacted roadbase and a number of the ones which weren't replaced are also showing signs of instability so the longevity of these trees isn't in any way guaranteed.

In the Port Road median to the west of South Road, a number of the gum trees which were planted have died and have never been replaced (despite me reporting these multiple times over the last few years). Also, why the planting in this median ends so far from that intersection is beyond me - that whole area is a barren, shadeless wasteland.

The endless graffiti to the noise wall was inevitable, but could have been significantly reduced had the planting of shrubs been far more continuous along the wall. At it stands they are just randomly spotted around - the areas where graffiti tends to build up being the areas in which the wall is easily accessible due to lack of plantings.

The grange road intersection was supposed to have trees and plantings in the central nature strips closest to the motorway trench. These were omitted at the last minute and replaced with just bare concrete.

The nature strips along the entire surface road north of Port Road were supposed to have been turfed. This was also omitted at the last minute, leading to the weed-ridden compacted gravel mess that's there today.

Here's a reminder of the renders which were superseded at the 11th hour vs the actual outcome:

Grange Road Intersection




Northbound Surface Road near Harriet Street




Northbound Surface Road near Hawker Street




Southbound Surface Road - Overpass Ramp



Releasing renders like this, basing all community liaison on them for several years and then massively dumbing them down in the days before practical completion makes a mockery of the whole process.

[rev]

I don't really venture beyond the motorway anymore, traffics a nightmare. I was more so talking about the landscaping across the road from the old Cadbury factory. I saw it briefly this morning while navigating traffic, might have been morning eyes still but looked pretty green.

The upkeep on other sections for sure though is far from ideal.
But I think that's part and parcel of the overall upkeep and maintenance of our motorways. There's more often then not debris scattered in emergency lanes.
There's that private firm, DM Roads? I think they're called, pretty sure it's their trucks I've seen driving slowly with flashing lights and hazards on apparently operating as road maintenance crews or something.
I guess the state government has contracted them, makes you wonder what the money's being spent on because there is so much crap littered along the motorways it'd be hard to justify that they, or anyone else for that matter, is doing their job in upkeep. It's a safety hazard as well. I've seen everything from spare tyres to plastic chairs and bits of building debris and even large filled garbage bags.

[SBD]

On the topic of the lanes around the Richmond Rd intersection — now I'm a confident rider, but I would not venture near these death traps they call bike lanes in a million years. The chance of being sideswiped by a car or bus moving to the slip lane (and then on the other side flying around the corner) would approach the singularity.

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Screenshot 2024-12-17 at 11.38.58 am.png

Mr Koutsantonis seems to like these long strips of green paint with moving traffic on both sides. I'd like to see him take his wife and kids for a family ride including a few of those to reach their destination.