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

[Wayno]

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.

yep got it - excuse my poor use of appropriate lingo. Perhaps you could estimate the No. of person hours to develop such a simulation?

[AtD]

It still doesn't make sense though...

As I said, this section of South Road carries the most freight, so it gets the Federal money.

And lol @ the trucks disappearing as they approach traffic lights. Can't have queues in the promo video now, can we?

[Ben]

Does anyone know why the South Rd/Anzac highway underpass has had no work done to it in the past month? The road still needs resurfacing on both sides but on one side it is although it's been scrapped by something and they just need to but the final layer on but once again its been like this for a month.... maybe run out of funding? This would be worrying as its the government but this is very dangerous at the moment. There are lines everywhere crossing each other and there have been many near misses in my daily travels

[Norman]

Does anyone know why the South Rd/Anzac highway underpass has had no work done to it in the past month? The road still needs resurfacing on both sides but on one side it is although it's been scrapped by something and they just need to but the final layer on but once again its been like this for a month.... maybe run out of funding? This would be worrying as its the government but this is very dangerous at the moment. There are lines everywhere crossing each other and there have been many near misses in my daily travels

They're currently laying down asphalt as it's more efficient when South Road is actually closed. I'm putting my money on them completing the asphalting this weekend.

[fabricator]

It still doesn't make sense though...

As I said, this section of South Road carries the most freight, so it gets the Federal money.

Where as trucks (and cars) avoid the section around Hindmarsh, due to it being dangerous and congested.

[UrbanCircus]

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.

yep got it - excuse my poor use of appropriate lingo. Perhaps you could estimate the No. of person hours to develop such a simulation?

The Superway took around 1,200 hours in total. It was quite a large project, very detailed.

P.S just added some cool music to the HD video I added previously.

[Ben]

Does anyone know why the South Rd/Anzac highway underpass has had no work done to it in the past month? The road still needs resurfacing on both sides but on one side it is although it's been scrapped by something and they just need to but the final layer on but once again its been like this for a month.... maybe run out of funding? This would be worrying as its the government but this is very dangerous at the moment. There are lines everywhere crossing each other and there have been many near misses in my daily travels

They're currently laying down asphalt as it's more efficient when South Road is actually closed. I'm putting my money on them completing the asphalting this weekend.

Hey Norman, there was no work done on the weekend and all road work equipment has been taken away and 40km replaced with 60km. It appears as though it's "finished". I hope they do finish it properly soon as it's really dangerous and I can see someone being sued.

[Norman]

They actually laid down some asphalt down in the underpass today.

[Ben]

They actually laid down some asphalt down in the underpass today.

hmm i didn't see it on my drive home? Which side?

[Norman]

They actually laid down some asphalt down in the underpass today.

hmm i didn't see it on my drive home? Which side?

It was at around 1pm today, on the eastern lane. The western lane already has its final layer AFAIK.

[drsmith]

With regard to the upgrade from the Port River Expressway to Regency Road I an only assume that a viaduct was less expensive than a tunnel. I note that in the simuation video there was a speed sign indicating that the speed limit on the elevated expressway would be 90km/hr.

With regard to the Regency Road intersection remaining at grade this may be necessary for full access control immediately south of Regency Road.

For the length of expressway delivered the cost of this project demonstrates the scale of the financial task to upgrade all of South Road to a free flowing expressway. IIRC the section from Grand Junction Road to Regency Road is currently 6 lanes so the cost problems compound further south bearing in mind the narrower existing road reserve and that a viaduct has been deemed not suitable for residential areas. Regency Road to south of Port Road may well require a tunnel but I hate to think how much that will cost. I note that current plans for the 600m tunnel under Port/Grange Roads have been scrapped.

I do wonder whether the Regency road intersection will become a bottleneck for southbound traffic without some sort of simultaneous upgrade to the section from Regency Road to Port Road even if that upgrade is only widening to, say, 3 lanes each way at grade. This too however would be expensive (if the cost of a similar proposed upgrading Great Eastern Highway in Perth from the Airport to Rivervale is anything to go by), may not be sufficiently effective and ultimately poor value for money in terms of ultimately making this section free flowing.

All decisions appear very difficult with South Road.

[Paulns]

I note that current plans for the 600m tunnel under Port/Grange Roads have been scrapped.

As much as I like this Superway idea, the original plan for a tunnel should take priority. The exsisting section of South Road between Regency rd and the PortRiver Expressway is arguably the best part of South Road on the Adelaide plain and is already wide and signed at 70km/hr. Originally this section was 80km/hr before the laws were changed. Where as South Road from the Regency Rd intersection, southbound, past ANZAC highway is a nightmare. I just can't understand why this section wasn't given absolute priority??

I do wonder whether the Regency road intersection will become a bottleneck for southbound traffic without some sort of simultaneous upgrade to the section from Regency Road to Port Road

Of course it will. It's a disgrace now.... I've also driven down South Road in Medium Rigid Trucks and yes you have to drive in the right lane to avoid hitting the power poles and protruding street lights. What and absolute embarressment for a so called modern city. Oh, and not to mention the danger to traffic users when you have a fully loaded Semi trailer travelling at 60km/hr down the road with absolutly NO medium strip or any sort of divider?? By the way, this is supposed to be one of Adelaide's main arterial roads, not some sort of trucky back route. Don't get me wrong, I am all for progress, but just in the right place first.

[drsmith]

I too was wondering about the value of the elevated roadway south of Grand Junction Road as according to the video simulation there are no exits off the elevated roadway between Grand Junction Road and the southern end of the viaduct itself. Southbound traffic terminating in regency Park would therefore still have to cross Grand Junction at grade if the viaduct ended at Regency Road.

The following map however shows that the elevated section of roadway ends well short of Regency Road with left turn exits beyond the end of the viaduct for entry into the industrial areas to the east of the existing South Road.

http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__d ... t_Plan.pdf

This makes me wonder whether a transition from elevated roadway to a tunnel is being cosidered along a new alignment through the Regency Park golf course/TAFE and under the residential area west of the existing alignment south of Regency Road.

[Aidan]

The following map however shows that the elevated section of roadway ends well short of Regency Road with left turn exits beyond the end of the viaduct for entry into the industrial areas to the east of the existing South Road.

http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/__d ... t_Plan.pdf

This makes me wonder whether a transition from elevated roadway to a tunnel is being cosidered along a new alignment through the Regency Park golf course/TAFE and under the residential area west of the existing alignment south of Regency Road.

I think it's safe to say that it isn't. Once it gets past Days Road there's no need for direct right turn access, so extending the viaduct further S would just be a waste of money.

As for tunnelling, it would probably be cheaper to do it on the existing road alignment. But it would be difficult to justify the costs of tunnelling this far N. An underpass beneath Regency Road is more likely.

[drwaddles]

I just can't understand why this section wasn't given absolute priority??

Because it carries the most freight.

Oh, and not to mention the danger to traffic users when you have a fully loaded Semi trailer travelling at 60km/hr down the road with absolutly NO medium strip or any sort of divider??

If you can't drive a truck without straying into another lane you shouldn't be on the road.