[COM] South Road Superway | $842m | 3km

[Briggzy_03]

The Marion underpass is well into the planning faze, I would expect a announcment to be made before the next election. As with the addition Nth the money has already been partially allocated by the feds for this. I would think that the duplication of the southern expressway would be one of the last things on the list, it not brilliant but will do for now. It would be a major, major underaking with spaghetti type flyovers needed especially at woodcroft interchange and connection to south Rd near Old Noarlunga.

Yeah as much as I would love for the southern expressway to be duplicated, in my head I know that it would at the bottom of the 'to do' list. That's interesting about the marion underpass, just to confirm you mean marion road right? Because I've only heard about and seen the renders for the sturt underpass. A marion road underpass would be great, especially for getting to uni. I can't see why it wouldn't be an important intersection to fix, considering the amount of traffic that flows through both roads even with the expressway.

[Prince George]

I wonder why they chose this viaduct over a simple road widening project.

The viaduct eliminates intersections and limits the number of entrances/exits where traffic will have to merge. Most of that estimated 7 minutes of time saved likely comes from the intersection with Grand Junction Road.

[Aidan]

Just to say what everyone expected me to say: I am very glad indeed.

However, I do share the curiosity of some other people here as to why it ends before Regency Road, but I'm sure that as we hear more about this project they'll announce an overpass at this junction; after all didn't the same thing happen with the ANZAC Highway Underpass (...and the tramline)?

Considering the amount of housing alongside South Road just S of Regency Road, I think an underpass is far more likely - but it's really a separate project. The tramline has been a bottleneck between an underpass and an overpass. Regency Road won't be, unless and until there's a major upgrade between there and Torrens Road.

Just another question, does anyone know why most of it appears to be only 2 lanes (in each direction)? Wouldn't one think that since it would become part of a major freight route, it would need at least 3 lanes since the freight stick to the left lane, leaving 2 lanes for commuters? Just a thought...

Look more closely... there's a total of 8 lanes for that section: 2+2 on the viaduct, + another 2+2 lanes on the ground. Even more at the Grand Junction Road intersection.

Perhaps a better question is why the northern section of viaduct is only planned to be 3+3 lanes? Especially considering it will eventually link with the Northern Connector, where 4+4 lanes are planned.

I haven't studied the plans in much detail, but it does seem to me that this much capacity would initially be superfluous and could eventually be inadequate. Building it as 4 lanes (initially operated as 2+2, but with provision for another 4 should demand warrant it) is likely to be far more cost effective.

Don't want to sound like one of the "idiots" from AdelaideNow, but nearly a billion dollars to save a maximum of seven minutes?

Is it really only a maximum of seven minutes? The delay isn't just due to the intersections. The long freight trains to the port can go pretty slowly.

Sure, there's more to it than that, but seeing as most of South Road already has 3x3 lanes there then maybe it's not the best solution or the best use of the money.

Struth, not again!
Which statement do you disagree with:
That section of South Road already has 6 lanes?
3x3 = 9 ?

[raulduke]

very cool - about time there was an announcement on this.

i cant see what is happening with the drain that runs along the existing alignment though

[Norman]

Perhaps a better question is why the northern section of viaduct is only planned to be 3+3 lanes? Especially considering it will eventually link with the Northern Connector, where 4+4 lanes are planned.

For the Northern connector, 2 lanes (2+2) will come from South Road and 2 lanes (2+2) will be coming from the Port River Expressway.

[ozisnowman]

I hope that the Governments infrastructure freight strategy looks at limiting these semi trailers/trucks to using the new
Northern Connector, South Road, Portrush Road etc. We need to get those damn things off our other arterial roads.
In other cities around the world Trucks and Semi's are virtually never seen near the City.

The government however needs to start working on the port/grange road tunnel soon though, as well as
another tunnel around edwardstown those two areas are major major bottlenecks in the current north-south route.
Also they should look at on-off ramps for the Southern Expressway rather an intersection.

[mattblack]

Yeah as much as I would love for the southern expressway to be duplicated, in my head I know that it would at the bottom of the 'to do' list. That's interesting about the marion underpass, just to confirm you mean marion road right? Because I've only heard about and seen the renders for the sturt underpass. A marion road underpass would be great, especially for getting to uni. I can't see why it wouldn't be an important intersection to fix, considering the amount of traffic that flows through both roads even with the expressway.

Sorry im an idiot. Sturt Rd and south rd intersection it is !!

[Wayno]

The government however needs to start working on the port/grange road tunnel soon though, as well as another tunnel around edwardstown those two areas are major major bottlenecks in the current north-south route.

I'm sure Rann will start talking about Port/Grange rd pre-election.

I'm also hoping there will be a south rd improvement announcement coincident with the Castle Plaza redevelopment. Probably wishful thinking though...

[fabricator]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... 715921.htm

South Road underpass project shelved

No underpass for now on South Road at Hindmarsh

Plans for an underpass along South Road at Hindmarsh have been put off by the South Australian Government.

It announced a plan this week to build an elevated freeway next to South Road in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, to be funded jointly with the Federal Government

SA Transport Minister Patrick Conlon says an underpass for South Road at Port Road will still be considered as a way to improve traffic efficiency along South Road.

"It may well still be an underpass but there may be another treatment that emerges from the planning works that is better treatment," he said.

"What I would say before people get worried is we do not believe that these elevated roads are suitable in residential areas, we are still examining planning options for that whole stretch of road."

What the ?!?
I see nothing wrong with the plans they had, sounds like some penny pinching public servant didn't approve of it.

Why couldn't they at least undergrounded the power poles, if nothing else that would have allowed the road to be widened and trucks to use the left lane.

[rhino]

I heard Pat Conlon this morning on ABC radio, explaining "why this bit, and not that bit like we said before".

In the original plan, the State Government worked out what they could do with the funds available to them, and what was most important. The biggest holdup on South Road was at Anzac Highway, the other really slow points were at Hindmarsh and the Sturt Road crossing, so they announced that they would adress these problem spots. Then the Federal Government gave them $70million to do a study into what was the best way to fix the freight problems on South Road, irrespective of cost (but being realistic). The study was done, and it was determined that from the point of view of the freight task, Regency Park was a bigger priority than Hindmarsh (Regency Park is where a lot of heavy transport tasks originate and terminate). The feds said they would kick in $500million towards fixing the problem, and the State Government decided that to get the most bang for it's buck, it would bring this project forward and put the original projects back a bit. The Anzac Highway underpass was already started, so it went ahead. The tram overpass is part of that project.

Rather than fixing a current problem, this Superway is adressing a problem that we are going to have if we don't do something now. It's forward planning at it's best. The superway is not being made for you in your car (though of course it will be available to you) - it's for the freight task, which is set to triple in our lifetime. You in your car, should be on public transport in the future, and that is also being adressed.

[DM8]

I'm also hoping there will be a south rd improvement announcement coincident with the Castle Plaza redevelopment. Probably wishful thinking though...

Simply providing a green arrow for traffic turning right from South Rd (southbound) on to Raglan Ave would improve things in the evenings and on weekends. A minor alteration to traffic signal sequencing, no capital works required. Heck, they can probably do that in 30 seconds at Norwood Traffic Controll Centre.

[fabricator]

It still doesn't make sense though, For a start the junction between South Rd and Port Rd is just as important as the junction of South Rd and Anzac Highway. Worse still South Road around Hindmarsh has the following hazards:
1) Multiple traffic lights in close proximity Grange Rd, Port Road (2 sets), plus the level crossing.
2) Road narrows after Port Road, with loss of central medium strip, hence higher risk of head on crash.
3) Power poles too close to curb in left hand lanes, which forces trucks into right hand lane, hence higher risk of head on crash between trucks and cars.
4) Port Adelaide rail line near start of narrow section, hence higher risk of vehicles stalling or getting boxed in on the crossing.

So basically the road that has a real risk to human life lakes second priority to a few congestion problems involving trucks.

Lets be honest, this Regency Road Connector upgrade is just an accessory for the other projects that revolve around the Northern/Port Expressways, Northern Connector etc.

[UrbanCircus]

Hi guys, here's a high definition video from the Urban Circus YouTube Channel.



Hope you enjoy, this was a great project to work on.

[Wayno]

Hi guys, here's a high definition video from the Urban Circus YouTube Channel

hiya UrbanCircus, how much does it cost to produce a video like that?

[UrbanCircus]

Hi guys, here's a high definition video from the Urban Circus YouTube Channel

hiya UrbanCircus, how much does it cost to produce a video like that?

Hi Wayno,

Technically what you see isn't a video... but rather a simulation of the future Superway. Basically its like a virtual world where you can walk around and follow cars. So the cost of producing these videos and images are next to nothing. The simulation though is what takes the most time and effort. Unfortunately, i don't actually know the cost of the project myself, but it was sizable and was a very similar project to Brisbane's AirportLink.