[COM] Southern Expressway Duplication | $445m | 22km

[dsriggs]

Woo Hoo, let's fix the expressway while the rest of south road chokes, another brilliant idea by the SA conservative, bandaid fix aficionados. This state is a joke.

The underpass at Anzac Highway was a bandaid fix?

As was the tram bridge. Completely useless...

[monotonehell]

Woo Hoo, let's fix the expressway while the rest of south road chokes, another brilliant idea by the SA conservative, bandaid fix aficionados. This state is a joke.

That's an ignorant statement, camaro68.

The reason the expressway is being doubled now is because the Feds have put forward the funds for it now. The State can't afford the entire South road fix all at once, and so is doing the next best thing and doing it a bit at a time. They also wont look a gifthorse (Federal funds) in the mouth over something that will eventually need to be done.

[Waewick]

Woo Hoo, let's fix the expressway while the rest of south road chokes, another brilliant idea by the SA conservative, bandaid fix aficionados. This state is a joke.

The underpass at Anzac Highway was a bandaid fix?

Yes.

I need to get into the band aid industry... big monet there

[drsmith]

http://www.dtei.sa.gov.au/infrastructur ... expressway

* 18.5km of road lane construction on the western side of the existing lanes.
* Duplicating nine road bridges and five pedestrian bridges.
* Five interchange upgrades including two major interchanges at the northern and southern ends of the expressway.
* Construction starts in 2011 and it will take up to three years to build.

Woohoo - doing an interchange at the southern end as well! I knew they were doing the interchange at Darlington, but hadn't heard anything about the southern end until now.

Although I have to say a direct link through to Victor Harbour Rd (as discussed in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2840&start=0) would be ideal.

Nothing about the intersections with Flinders Drive or Sturt Road.

Piecemeal is perhaps a better term than bandaid for the Anzac Highway underpass.

[monotonehell]

Piecemeal is perhaps a better term than bandaid for the Anzac Highway underpass.

Or perhaps "one step at a time"?

[fabricator]

Nothing about the intersections with Flinders Drive or Sturt Road.

Most likely because they haven't finished the design for this area, the rail line extension at Tonsley complicates matters.

[drsmith]

A costly, but obvious solution;

Concerning the Tonsley line, I think that they need to build the gradient of the rail line upwards before it reaches and goes over Sturt Road, continues through the Sturt Office Park as a viaduct, going over South Road and then tunneling into the FMC grounds - I think that matches the conditions of the topography in the area.

Anyone care to guess a cost estimate for the above and grade seperation of Sturt Road and Flinders drive ?

[camaro68]

Woo Hoo, let's fix the expressway while the rest of south road chokes, another brilliant idea by the SA conservative, bandaid fix aficionados. This state is a joke.

That's an ignorant statement, camaro68.

The reason the expressway is being doubled now is because the Feds have put forward the funds for it now. The State can't afford the entire South road fix all at once, and so is doing the next best thing and doing it a bit at a time. They also wont look a gifthorse (Federal funds) in the mouth over something that will eventually need to be done.

I think you’re the ignoramus here my learned friend, we are at the behest of a state with no vision and no future transport infrastructure plan/policy. We’ve spent the last 40 or so years worrying about the arts and festival theatres.

If there were some strategies in place whereby the crippling south road issue was on the top the list to fix then the federal government would have directed the funds to that. As we do not have one we obviuosly had to make an eleventh hour decision were to spend the money and hey presto southern express way upgrade or elevated freeway at Regency park, no time to pull something together to justify the area of south road that really needs fixing.

I say it once say it 1000 times this state is a joke and needs to be run by, dare I say it by forward thinking people, not backward minded conservatives.

Again we have failed to plan not plan to fail, but I guess the latter rings true also.

[fabricator]

A costly, but obvious solution;

Concerning the Tonsley line, I think that they need to build the gradient of the rail line upwards before it reaches and goes over Sturt Road, continues through the Sturt Office Park as a viaduct, going over South Road and then tunneling into the FMC grounds - I think that matches the conditions of the topography in the area.

Anyone care to guess a cost estimate for the above and grade seperation of Sturt Road and Flinders drive ?

Don't need the tunnel, the bridge comes out at ground level next to Flinders drive, just an open cutting once you get south of the hospital itself.
$20m for each for two rail bridge, $10 for buying up the private houses in the area, say $30m for earth works, $6 for new track, $6m each for 2 new stations, the Flinders drive road overpass $30m.

Lets see $128m all up. Not too bad considering all the problems fixed.

[rhino]

If there were some strategies in place whereby the crippling south road issue was on the top the list to fix then the federal government would have directed the funds to that. As we do not have one we obviuosly had to make an eleventh hour decision were to spend the money and hey presto southern express way upgrade or elevated freeway at Regency park, no time to pull something together to justify the area of south road that really needs fixing.

I say it once say it 1000 times this state is a joke and needs to be run by, dare I say it by forward thinking people, not backward minded conservatives.

Mate, the "Crippling South Road Issue" is being adressed by forward thinking people. These people are improving public transport, so that the people who use South Road to access the city will have a better option, thus freeing it up for those who need to use it for cross-suburban transit and Camaro drivers. These people do not need a freeway, a non-stop route will be quite adequate, and that it what the forward-thinking people who currently run this state are aiming at. It's the backward-thinking people who insist that everyone wants to drive, everyone wants a freeway despite the cost, and that their own pet piece of road should be moved to the top of the list for freewayfication.

[Straze]

For the cost of the duplication of the Southern Expressway we could build a new O-Bahn from the City to Old Reynella or extend the existing Tonsley Line to Old Reynella. Which would attract many people to use public transport thus reducing traffic along parts of South Road.

[rhino]

For the cost of the duplication of the Southern Expressway we could build a new O-Bahn from the City to Old Reynella

What route would you choose for this new O'Bahn? I seem to recall that some years ago, it was looked at, to go to Darlington, because the slow speed of busses getting over Tapleys Hill meant that it wasn't worth them being on a dedicated busway. To get to Darlington involved using the Glenelg tram corridor and the Sturt River linear reserve, covering the drain with the track. This route was chosen because buying residential land was cost prohibitive. It also involved something like 22 bridges, as an O'Bahn cannot cross roads at grade, and so was cost prohibitive anyway. And now you're saying that we can build an O'Bahn all the way to Old Reynella for less than the price of duplicating the Southern Expressway? Where are you getting your costings from? Hitting your head against that brick wall is having an effect, it seems.

[skyliner]

Camaro68 - all the states IMO are more 'backward' than forward thinking looking at it from your viewpoint for several reasons - some reasons being politics, money and votes. Long range visions are needed, but if there is a government change they often are heavily changed or scrapped. LOng range comprehensive visions are more remote to people. Besides, long range visions don't bring 'results' as fast as short or 'peacemeal' ones. If a change happens, then what - wasted money? Votes hang on immediate evidence that 'something' is happening. It is a courageous government that has a great deal hanging on long range visions.- though IMO i would love to have a gov't with long range vision.

To illustrate the above - Brisbane has a VAST transport infrastructure problem - not much has been done about it till recent times even though the population of SE Q has been rising at 1000 per week for over 20 years. . Why has this problem got so far - 'peacemeal' work? No money? No vision? Concern for votes? More important things? Who really knows - BUT the same problem you say about SA is here too. The big advantage here is that we are not facing an almost a out of hand population growth beyond financial and time possibilities to cope. This state is $84bn in debt trying to catch up - no vision initially. Needs $67bn for infrastructure now. I would much rather be in Adelaide.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Straze]

According to a Wikipedia article (Obahn busway) one of the the proposals involved running the Obahn alongside the Tonsley Line (replacing the Tonsley branch). It was estimated to costs about $182M. My proposal would involve duplication the current Southern Expressway corridor to Panalatinga Road exit. The Adelaide O-Bahn is successful in attracting lots of people to use public transport, the bonus with the Southern O-Bahn is that it takes advantage of an established population.

[stumpjumper]

One of the problems we have is that the public is given no real information about issues like this on which they are expected to vote.

A further problem here, from the point of view of both major parties, is that the Southern Expressway runs through or near Bright (Labor but winnable by Libs), Mawson (Labor but winnable by Libs) and Mitchell (Independent, very marginal).