Sensational-Adelaide.com

bits wrote:

I Follow PAFC wrote:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/mi ... 7596563101

News corp is so lame.
For those with a different subscription:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/mill ... 7596563101

GoodSmackUp wrote: adelaidenow is newscorp

THE $620 million Darlington road upgrade needs to be redesigned to stop residents from being trapped in their suburbs, local councils say.

The councils also argue the road will reduce the potential for jobs growth by creating a barrier between Flinders University and the Tonsley precinct, which includes research centres and businesses.

In an unprecedented move, Marion and Mitcham councils have called a joint meeting next week to pressure the State and Federal Governments to put the project on hold.

The upgrade includes creating a 2.3km, non-stop section of South Rd, linking Ayliffes Rd, St Marys, with the Southern Expressway.

Mitcham Mayor Glenn Spear wants to make it easier for cars, bikes and pedestrians to cross South Rd.

“If the freeway goes through, people in and around Bedford Park have a real problem getting out of their suburbs,” Mr Spear said.

“We believe this needs to be looked at thoroughly.

“We don’t believe (the government) has addressed all the residents’ concerns.

“The State Government is considering two consortiums to build the project and we are aware

that the design is yet to be finalised.

“South Australia will only have one chance to get the construction of the Darlington Road

upgrade right.”

An artist’s impression of the Darlington Road upgrade.
An artist’s impression of the Darlington Road upgrade.
Marion Mayor Kris Hanna said making it easier to travel between Flinders University and the Tonsley precinct was vital to attracting more companies to the area.

He said the Darlington upgrade was long overdue but needed to be designed in a way that would help create jobs.

“We have an opportunity to ensure the success of the Tonsley development by building

infrastructure at Darlington that is more than just a road,” Mr Hanna said.

“As mayors we have been left with little option other than to call a historic joint meeting of

Marion and Mitcham councils to find a solution.”

The Darlington project is part of a wider government plan to create a 78km freeway between Gawler and Old Noarlunga.

The Darlington section is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018, according to the Transport Department’s website.

The Federal Government would spend $496 million on the Darlington project, while the State would contribute $124 million.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan said the government would consider alternative designs and make an announcement by the end of the month.

The joint council meeting is at Mitcham Council chambers on Monday, November 9, at 5.30pm

rev wrote:That local council should STFU really.

A freeway is being built.
A freeway is not intended to have access from every side street, otherwise it wont be a freeway but a regular main arterial road.

Someone pass them the memo.

Patrick_27 wrote:Whilst VERY costly, this is why I've always thought that relocating Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders University to Tonsley would be ideal.

Trains parallel with the site, opportunity to rebuild both facilities to the highest standard, etc etc.

*preparing for the onslaught*

Flinders University to build $2bn precinct plan if its Darlington interchange upgrade goes ahead
By Tim Williams

A REDESIGNED Darlington interchange project would pave the way for a multi-billion dollar residential, education and business precinct in a proposal from Flinders University.

The university has submitted a plan to the State Government for the initial road project that it claims would be cheaper and faster to build and result in quicker travel times, while unlocking investment potential for more than 10,000 units and student apartments in an “urban village”.

Concerned by the roadway’s potential to isolate the Bedford Park campus from the new Tonsley precinct, Flinders engaged global consultants Perkins and Will to devise an alternative.

The plan includes broad “land bridges” over sections of an underground North-South Corridor — either side of South Rd — to ensure connections between the university campuses, Flinders Medical Centre and neighbouring suburbs.

The “bridges” and surrounding land between the hospital and Tonsley would become housing and retail strips.

Vice-Chancellor Colin Stirling said it was an opportunity to create a world class innovation and residential precinct.

“We would be capping 80m lengths of the road (and) above it we can have streetscapes spanning that 80m,” he said.

“We can create businesses, amenities, an urban village — a Norwood Parade of the south if you like.”

Under the plan the redesigned traffic corridor, without the land bridges that would be built later, would completed for $130 million less than the $620 million budgeted by the state and federal governments.

It would be completed in early 2018, six months faster of the current design, and travel times would be reduced. The current South Rd would remain open throughout the project.

Flinders would invest $250 million in new academic buildings, potentially including a an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Business School at Tonsley, and attract $400 million in private investment for student housing.

Combined with other housing and commercial developments on a mix on government and university land, the plan envisages 10,400 residential units and total investment of more than $2 billion.

More than 11,600 jobs would be created in the development of the 300ha area which would be labelled the Southern Innovation Precinct.

The plan also calls for the extension of the Tonsley rail line to the medical centre.

Mr Stirling said the current interchange design limited access between Flinders and Tonsley and would force the university to “re-evaluate” plans for further investment in Tonsley.

Economic Development Board chair Raymond Spencer agreed in principle with the Flinders plan.

“I have concerns about anything that simply draws a road through the middle of that precinct which doesn’t allow the natural linkages to grow,” he said.

RAA manager of road safety Charles Mountain said the RAA supported the idea “to improve connectivity” across the precinct as long as it did not impact on the traffic performance of the road corridor.

Transport Minister Stephen Mulligan said the Government had provided the Flinders proposal to the two short-listed consortia tendering for the interchange project to see whether they could incorporate “all or part” of it into their final design.

He said the state and federal governments would announce the preferred tenderer and design by the end of the month.

SA company York Civil was yesterday awarded a $3 million contract to upgrade the intersection of Marion and Sturt roads ahead of the major North-South corridor works.

What Flinders Uni fears most about the current interchange plan

Flinders University fears the Darlington Interchange road project will sever it main campus and the Flinders Medical Centre from Tonsley. So it has come up with ambitious alternative plan.


THE PROBLEM

The $620 million Darlington Interchange project is set to be a boon for southern suburbs commuters as a key link in the North-South Corridor.

But Flinders University is concerned that it will be an enormous trench with limited crossing points, isolating Flinders from its Tonsley building and the rest of the Tonsley precinct. It would also separate Flinders Medical Centre from Tonsley.

The university argues “innovation” precincts that drive economic growth thrive on easy access and collaboration between education and medical institutions and businesses. It views the current design of the road project as a threat to future investment and a missed opportunity to create a precinct that would attract the best and brightest minds from around the world.

Marion and Mitcham councils and resident groups are also worried about traffic headaches for their residents and suburbs being cut off from one another.


THE PROPOSAL

Flinders has an alternative design where the North-South Corridor is undergrounded either side of the current South Rd, which would be able to remain open to traffic throughout the works.

“Land bridges” up to 80m wide would cap lengths of the corridor, providing broad connections to land either side South Rd for residential and retail development and student housing.

This “urban village” would link the Uni and hospital with the Tonsley precinct.


COST

The proposal prepared by international consultants Perkins and Will claims the alternative roadwork plan could be delivered for $490 million. The $130 million saving could be put toward the land bridges.

The savings include $25 million for keeping open South Rd during construction, avoiding temporary road infrastructure, $10 million from reduced retaining walls, and $35 million from keeping most of the existing services below South Rd.

The plan also projects $200 million in future savings from a much smaller program of works required in surrounding streets.


TRAVEL TIME

The Flinders proposal predicts reduced traffic congestion and slightly faster traffic flows than the government plan allows.

Flinders argues this demonstrates a precinct integrating many uses — residential, retail, student housing, academic buildings and a rail extension to the Flinders Medical Centre — does not have to impact on the effectiveness of the North-South Corridor.


RESIDENTIAL

The plan envisages 10,400 units bringing more than 9000 new permanent residents and hordes of international students to live in the area.

Flinders would attract $400 million in private investment for student housing.

This fits with a 10-year plan for a threefold rise in international students.


JOBS

A whopping 11,500 jobs would be created in the development of the entire southern Innovation Precinct, stretching 300ha. The plan projects a total economic injection of more than $2 billion, the majority being private investment.


A GLOBAL EXAMPLE

Flinders Vice-Chancellor Colin Stirling argues there is the potential to produce “a world-class urban development project that will deliver real economic growth”.

“When compared against this opportunity, a conventional freeway simply doesn’t stack-up,” he says.

“Flinders University believes it’s possible to turn this standard road project into a visionary development that unites and energises communities, paving the way for a vibrant urban village that attracts inward investment, and creates jobs, homes and amenities for local residents.

“Which provides for seamless and flexible local transport unhindered by the expressway. And which, crucially, connects Tonsley to the Flinders medical and education precincts, thereby creating a globally significant Innovation District, attracting the world’s best businesses and talent to southern Adelaide.

SouthAussie94 wrote:It would be interesting to see the complete plans for the Flinders proposal. The select renders leave quite a few questions unanswered.

omada wrote:I for one have always wondered why the termination of the Tonsley line remains where it is, surely the benefits of extending this to the Flinders Med/Uni precinct outweigh any costs?? Does anyone know the projected cost of this ? Was this detailed in either Flinders Unis plans or the interchange plans?