Sensational-Adelaide.com

-Bahn busway extension through Adelaide CBD
Article from: AAP

CAMERON ENGLAND

May 12, 2009 07:00pm

THE O-BAHN busway will be extended through the centre of Adelaide to West Tce as part of a $1.03 billion investment in South Australia's road and rail infrastructure.
Other key SA aspects of the nation-building infrastructure plan - touted as the biggest since the Snowy Mountains scheme - include a $294 million modernisation of the Gawler rail line and a $291 million extension of the Noarlunga rail line to Seaford.

Treasurer Wayne Swan yesterday announced national infrastructure spending totalling $22 billion over four years, in the areas of transport, broadband internet, clean energy, education and health.

Transport received the lion's share of funding, at $8.45 billion, while the $43 billion National Broadband Network received an initial $4.7 billion in this funding cycle.

Nationally, $3.2 billion will be spent on a dual rail link from West Werribee to central Melbourne, and $3.4 billion will be invested in Network 1 - the road freight corridor between Melbourne and Cairns which includes the Hume, Pacific and Bruce highways.

Clean energy projects will receive $4.5 billion, which will be used in part to set up four new solar flagship projects and carbon capture projects.

In SA, the O-Bahn extension - hinted at by Premier Mike Rann on Twitter last week - will cost $61 million and will extend the track down Hackney Rd, up Rundle Rd, along East Tce, then through Grenfell St and Currie St to West Terrace.

The extension will quarantine O-Bahn buses from road traffic, speeding up travel times on what is Adelaide's most highly used public transport corridor.

Construction is expected to start this year and be finished by 2011.

The modernisation of the 43km Gawler line, which carries about 34 per cent of Adelaide's rail passengers, will involve resleepering and electrification, leading to more efficient and frequent services.

The Noarlunga upgrade will involve the construction of a 5.5km extension from the Noarlunga interchange to Seaford.

New stations will be built at Seaford Meadows and the Seaford rail terminus.

Both rail projects are expected to start in 2010 and are scheduled for completion in 2013.

Another $380 million will be spent on smaller road and rail projects in SA, including an upgrade to the Victor Harbor and South Rd intersection and a duplication of the Sturt Highway between Gawler and Greenock.

Mr Swan said the infrastructure spend supported jobs by "investing in the infrastructure we need for tomorrow".

"Its focus is on an unprecedented push for jobs and productivity, built on the roads, rail, ports and broadband that are the building blocks for sustainable growth," Mr Swan said.

The Budget documents say the infrastructure spending will support an average of around 15,000 jobs each year, peaking at around 18,000 in 2011-12.

peas_and_corn wrote:So it's not a track extension?

how_good_is_he wrote:Yeah but finding 2 lanes for the o-bahn in Grenfell St appears nuts... so will Grenfell St reduce to 1 lane only for cars? There are so many other buses that leave from Grenfell St and go in different directions than the o-bahn route - so what is the benefit - it will just clog it up more?

how_good_is_he wrote:so will Grenfell St reduce to 1 lane only for cars?

crawf wrote:Simply don't drive to the CBD.

AtD wrote:If it's not guided track, why wouldn't other buses be able to use it?

AtD wrote:There are so many other buses that leave from Grenfell St and go in different directions than the o-bahn route

how_good_is_he wrote:
Even if you dont drive - the existing buses/traffic probably wont cope with Grenfell St if the o-bahn chews 2 lanes!

BECAUSE