Sensational-Adelaide.com

Darlington upgrade approaching halfway mark but end date delayed until 2019
Caleb Bond, HillsValley Weekly Messenger
October 12, 2017 1:34pm

IT IS a mess of concrete, dirt and rubble – and a headache for motorists – but a $620 million project to upgrade Main South Rd at Darlington is about to hit the halfway mark.

The Transport Department last week said 40 per cent of the roadworks, which began in 2016, had been completed.

However, an end date originally tipped for late 2018 was now more likely for some time in 2019, although the department would not say if that would be early or late in the year.

It also would not say if the project was running to budget.

From Monday, motorists will be able to start using the new road surface, from the Southern Expressway to Lincoln Rd – near Ayliffes Rd – to allow for the construction of a lowered motorway and a number of bridges.

The bridges – one of which already stands on land on the corner of Main South and Marion roads, behind Hungry Jack’s – are being built separately and then dropped into place, an Australian first for a project of such a large scale.

The new Main South Rd bridge, over the Southern Expressway, will also be installed later this month and lead to the new road surface.

Concrete sound barriers between 3.5m and 5m high have been built between Shepherds Hill Rd, Sturt Rd, Mimosa Tce, Flinders Drive and Riverside Drive to help reduce road noise for nearby residents.

Roadwork on Main South Rd at Bedford Park.
The remainder of the project includes:

INSTALLING a bridge over Sturt River;

EXCAVATION to make way for the lowered motorway;

CONSTRUCTION of a Main South Rd bridge to lead to the lowered motorway; and

BUILDING bridges over Flinders Drive, Sturt Rd, Mimosa Tce, Sutton Rd, Ayliffes Rd and Tonsley Boulevard, under which the lowered motorway would pass.

Bedford Park Residents’ Association president Reynold David said residents were “quite satisfied” with how the project was progressing.

“We’ve been part of the team for the entire design stage and now with the client liaison for the construction phase,” Mr David said.

“We want to be part of the solution and that way we are able to get more, a better outcome and a better relationship in place.”

However, he said residents were concerned about the removal of right-hand turns on to South Rd from Bedford Park.

“We had two right turns on South Rd,” he said.

“If something happened on Flinders Drive, we can’t go north.

“That’s a big worry, particularly in the case of natural disaster, fire or any sort of emergency situation.”

When complete, the 3.3km section of Main South Rd with become a non-stop motorway from the Southern Expressway to Tonsley Boulevard.

Norman wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:30 am

Not sure if this render has been posted before

kenget wrote:

Norman wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:30 am

Not sure if this render has been posted before

Thanks Norman.

I am trying to work out why there are 5 roads heading north in that render though....

Heading North:

Main Sth Rd -> Access Road
Sthn Expy -> Access Road

Main Sth Rd -> New lowered Sth Rd
Sthn Expy -> New lowered Sth Rd
?????? -> New lowered Sth Rd (you can see this between the 2 new overpasses)

Heading South:

New lowered Sth Rd -> Sthn Expy
Access Road -> Sthn Expy
New lowered Sth Rd -> Main Sth Rd
Access Road -> Main Sth Rd

Any ideas why there are 5 heading North?

Mpol03 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:34 am

I'm so confused with everything to do with this corridor. What was the big upgrade that happened out north to get onto the Salisbury highway? I thought it was complete? Does the above render have anything to do with that?

Apologies, I think I've used up my stupid quota for the week.

SouthAussie94 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:53 am

Mpol03 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:34 am

I'm so confused with everything to do with this corridor. What was the big upgrade that happened out north to get onto the Salisbury highway? I thought it was complete? Does the above render have anything to do with that?

Apologies, I think I've used up my stupid quota for the week.

I'm assuming your referring to the South Road Superway which runs from Regency Rd to the Port River Expressway/Salisbury Highway.

This was completed in about 2014.

Works are now underway at the intersection of the Superway and PRExy and Salisbury Hwy to extend it further north linking it to the Northern Expressway at Virginia. This is the Northern Connector project.

The render posted above is the intersection of Main South Road and the Southern Expressway at Darlington. The is a part of the Darlington Upgrade project.

Work is also underway around Croydon to lower a section of South Road under Port and Torrens roads. This is the Torrens to Torrens project.

All three of these (Northern Connector, Darlington, Torrens to Torrens) form part of the larger North-South corridor upgrade. Eventually, you'll be able to drive non stop from Gawler to Seafood along upgraded roads.

There's plenty of info on the DPTI website

SouthAussie94 wrote: Eventually, you'll be able to drive non stop from Gawler to Seafood along upgraded roads.

bits wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 17, 2017 11:27 am

SouthAussie94 wrote: Eventually, you'll be able to drive non stop from Gawler to Seafood along upgraded roads.

What is the stop at Gawler?
It is dual carriage way highway to Nuriootpa.

ChillyPhilly wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 17, 2017 12:26 pm

bits wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 17, 2017 11:27 am

SouthAussie94 wrote: Eventually, you'll be able to drive non stop from Gawler to Seafood along upgraded roads.

What is the stop at Gawler?
It is dual carriage way highway to Nuriootpa.

To expand on SouthAussie94's info, it's non-stop grade-separated roads. Technically all freeway standard. Once the Gawler Bypass ends, then this standard of road does not continue as it has some at-grade intersections.

Also, speed limits will be 110 km/h between Gawler and the Port River Expressway, then 90 until Regency Road, then 80 all the way to the start of the Southern Expressway - when the project is finished.