M1 South-Eastern Freeway

[[Shuz]]

Isn't the HPVN just another fancy name for GlobeLink (minus the freight airport).

[crawf]

The HPVN comprises a whole network of roads across the state from the Victorian to WA borders. The core part of it though is the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass / old GlobeLink.

There is a growing push for a freight bypass around Adelaide, with current Sturt Federal MP James Steven starting a whole campaign to get heavy vehicles off Portrush Road in the leadup to the upcoming federal election. There is even a website and petition > www.trucksoffportrush.com.au

[Hooligan]

How was this not more publicised?

That’s great news. All we got in the news was the Curtis road level crossing

[Norman]

Unfortunately we don't have a lot of local journalists covering things like transport and infrastructure, but love to run competitions as to what kid has the best mullet or where the best pies are in town.

[SRW]

ABC News has an article up: 'Greater Adelaide heavy vehicle bypass back on table ahead of federal election'

[SouthAussie94]

Is the bypass actually going to be a viable route?

Looking at the map in the ABC article, it seems the majority of the route isn't being upgraded from what's there now, with a few targeted upgrades in some places.

I'm a B-Double driving from Melbourne to Perth, why would I take a scenic tour of the Adelaide Hills on windy country roads, when I can stay on the Freeway, doing 100kph for most of the route, crawl down Cross Rd at a slow speed for 5kms, and then into the tunnels where I can do 80kph.

There's also the safety factor of diveting trucks through the hills, unless there are plans to build significant number of overtaking lanes.

I'm far from convinced.

[rev]

Is the bypass actually going to be a viable route?

Looking at the map in the ABC article, it seems the majority of the route isn't being upgraded from what's there now, with a few targeted upgrades in some places.

I'm a B-Double driving from Melbourne to Perth, why would I take a scenic tour of the Adelaide Hills on windy country roads, when I can stay on the Freeway, doing 100kph for most of the route, crawl down Cross Rd at a slow speed for 5kms, and then into the tunnels where I can do 80kph.

There's also the safety factor of diveting trucks through the hills, unless there are plans to build significant number of overtaking lanes.

I'm far from convinced.

It's a pretty big detour, even the Liberal's plan (not sure if it's the same route). A big time consuming detour.

To me, with both parties coming up with a detour route for heavy vehicles, it's just an admission by both of them that they don't want to touch the SEF in a serious way to fix it's short comings with heavy vehicles on the down track into Adelaide. If it's even possible to fix it without closing a huge portion of it down.And who knows what that would cost.

[Hooligan]

I still prefer the short north freeway option proposed by the freight council a few years ago. That one is far less out of the way than driving Monarto to Truro.

But the Swanport Bridge duplication is very welcome.

[crawf]

Swanport Bridge duplication is 1000% needed, and perhaps lesser extent the Truro Bypass. The rest of this HPVN, I also question of the viability of this proposed freight bypass.
This is quite the detour.



I don't think this plan takes into account that this route will be going through small townships which will slow down the travel time on what is already a very long winding bypass. If I was a truck driver and especially at night when the traffic is at a minimum, I would still continue drive along the SEF into Adelaide as it would be much quicker and easier. In honesty this funding would be better spent overhauling the death trap intersection of Grand Junction, Main North and Pt Wakefield Roads which is a major freight route.

Either way with Portrush Road running straight through the heart of the marginal seat of Sturt, expect this topic to get alot of air time in the next coming weeks.

Unfortunately we don't have a lot of local journalists covering things like transport and infrastructure, but love to run competitions as to what kid has the best mullet or where the best pies are in town.

So true. Surprised they haven't done, the 'best online forums in the state' yet....

[SBD]

You can already drive a 36.5m road train (or 26m B-double) from the Victorian Border over the Swanport Bridge, through the middle of Murray Bridge, Cambrai and Sedan to the Sturt Highway, then through Truro and past Nuriootpa. Turn onto Redbanks Road near Xavier College north of Gawler, through Mallala and Balaklava to the Port Wakefield Highway then Augusta Highway.

That's an approved route now.

Google Maps for a car on Sunday afternoon shows 6 hours 11 minutes Bordertown to Port Augusta via Portrush Road, and 7 hours 1 minute by that alternate HPV route. Bypasses of Murray Bridge and Truro would reduce the difference, and the hill near Truro is not as bad as the one on the SEF.

If that route became popular, there would be more optimisations in the Gawler/Roseworthy/Mallala area, or even upgrade a new route between Truro and Balaklava/Nantawarra via Kapunda and Tarlee to HPV standard.

[SouthAussie94]

But how many do?

50 minutes of extra travel time is a fair bit extra. Optimistically, let's say the upgrades cut 10 minutes off the trip, that's still a significant time loss for what gain?

Fast forward 10 years to when the tunnels are finished, and there are only 10 signalised intersections between the SEF and the NSM. Compared to however many there are on PRR/Hampstead/GJR. Outside of the AM/PM peaks, the time savings will be significant, further reducing the incentive for them to take the Truro route

[SBD]

But how many do?

50 minutes of extra travel time is a fair bit extra. Optimistically, let's say the upgrades cut 10 minutes off the trip, that's still a significant time loss for what gain?

Fast forward 10 years to when the tunnels are finished, and there are only 10 signalised intersections between the SEF and the NSM. Compared to however many there are on PRR/Hampstead/GJR. Outside of the AM/PM peaks, the time savings will be significant, further reducing the incentive for them to take the Truro route

I've heard various percentages of current heavy vehicle traffic on the SEF that could change to using the eastern bypass, 30-60% of the trucks on the SEF. I couldn't tell if any of these hypothetical numbers were based on the actual number of trucks that pass Monarto and either Roseworthy or Virginia with no freight stops in between (driver comfort and welfare is a separate issue).

There are currently (2021 data) an average of 150 commercial vehicle movements per day on Halfway House Road (the section south of the Sturt Highway), 35% of all traffic on that road.

I suspect that at some times of the week, the travel time would be comparable, but I have no idea about what other factors are used in choosing a route. It could turn out that a metro route is preferred in one direction, and the outer ring preferred the other way.

[rev]

Our state government is sleeping at the wheel if they aren't working this federal election to get more funding for projects in SA.

Federal election: Peter Dutton promises to beat Labor to the punch of Cross Road, South Eastern Freeway upgrades
The Opposition Leader has hit Adelaide for the first time in this election campaign – with a near billion-dollar promise on a divisive political issue.

Paul Starick
Editor At Large
@paulstarick
2 min read
April 6, 2025 - 10:00PM

Peter Dutton is vowing to cut truck congestion on Cross and Portrush roads earlier than his rivals as he moves to accelerate a promised $1bn Adelaide freight bypass.

Visiting Adelaide on Monday for the first time in the May 3 election campaign, the Opposition Leader will trump Labor by declaring a Coalition government would this year start pouring $840m into a heavy vehicle bypass around the Adelaide Hills.

This is expected to remove about 60 per cent of heavy vehicles from the South Eastern Freeway between Murray Bridge and Adelaide, keeping them off suburban roads.

Labor in March promised $525m toward the $1.05bn project – with a 50:50 split of federal/state money – after a bungled budget announcement.

Mr Dutton will seek to sow division between state and federal Labor by promising a Coalition government would deliver 80 per cent of the funds, which state Transport Minister Tom Koutstanonis has said is the usual ratio.

“This exciting project will cut congestion and improve the safety of Adelaide suburban streets, as well as making a significant improvement to the national freight task at both the Sturt Highway and duplication of the Swanport Bridge on the South Eastern Freeway,” Mr Dutton said.

A map of the proposed route, released by the federal government in March, shows the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass leaving the South Eastern Freeway west of Murray Bridge, near Monarto, and heading towards Truro, with minor bypasses around Cambrai and Sedan.

Keeping trucks off Cross Rd once the $15.4bn Torrens to Darlington tunnels and North-South road corridor are complete has become a key election issue in the southwestern Adelaide seat of Boothby, held by Labor with a 3.3 per cent margin.

Both Liberal candidate Nicolle Flint and Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost have accused the other of plans to turn Cross Rd into a heavy truck route.

In a further pitch for Boothby, Mr Dutton on Monday will announce a Coalition government would deliver $2m to fund a Goodwood Oval playing surface upgrade and 17 new cricket practice nets.

Getting trucks off Portrush Rd is also an issue in the eastern Adelaide seat of Sturt, where Liberal MP James Stevens is defending a razor-thin 0.5 per cent margin.

Coalition roads and road safety spokesman Tony Pasin, also the Barker MP, said the freight bypass was “vital for increasing the productivity, efficiency and safety of South Australia’s freight network”.

”Three years of Labor’s inaction has put our state in the slow lane,” he said.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King announced Labor’s $525m bypass pledge the day after the March 25 federal budget, with her office saying it had been “baked into” a $17.1bn funding package.

Under questioning in Senate estimates two days after the budget, Infrastructure Department officials revealed the bypass funding was expected to be met in a 50/50 split with the state government.

Later that day, Mr Koutsantonis said he was unaware of the proposed split and “generally freight projects are funded 80/20”.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 1743987058

[SouthAussie94]

Coalition roads and road safety spokesman Tony Pasin, also the Barker MP, said the freight bypass was “vital for increasing the productivity, efficiency and safety of South Australia’s freight network”.

”Three years of Labor’s inaction has put our state in the slow lane,” he said.

It's been clear for over a decade that the NS Motorway would be a thing along South Rd. It's obvious that Cross Rd is the most direct route from the SEF to the NSM.

Libs have been in government for the majority of the past 10 years, yet have done nothing about the freight route, bit are now criticising Labor for having done the same?

The pettiness of the Libs, Labs and politics in general drives me nuts....

[dbl96]

The freight route could work for freight bypassing Adelaide, but not if it ends at Truro and forces Port Augusta/Alice/Perth bound traffic to detour back down into the metro area along the Sturt Highway.

In order for this project to be effective it needs to extend to a northern bypass of the metro area from Truro to Nantawara via Kapunda, Tarlee, Owen and Balaklava. That way the metro area is bypassed without significant extra kilometres added.