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

[fabricator]

Hey maybe I'm wrong ...Can someone please post a link that tells me what is actually happening.

No link, but things are being done in order of priorty and cost/benefit.

South Road/Anzac highway was the highest priority and had the highest cost/benefit, so that was #1
Sturt road is next, same reason.

Regarding the tunnels etc I think it was put off due to cost, these things not hundreds of millions, but billions. I suspect it is still on the cards though.

The costs aren't just from the tunnels under Grange/Port roads and the railway, its also the need to relocate a high voltage substation and overhead power lines. When ETSA was government owned, it could simply eat the cost, but now the government have to pay the full costs directly.

[Aidan]

Hey maybe I'm wrong ...Can someone please post a link that tells me what is actually happening.

No link, but things are being done in order of priorty and cost/benefit.

South Road/Anzac highway was the highest priority and had the highest cost/benefit, so that was #1
Sturt road is next, same reason.

Regarding the tunnels etc I think it was put off due to cost, these things not hundreds of millions, but billions. I suspect it is still on the cards though.

The costs aren't just from the tunnels under Grange/Port roads and the railway, its also the need to relocate a high voltage substation and overhead power lines. When ETSA was government owned, it could simply eat the cost, but now the government have to pay the full costs directly.

Why would they need to be relocated? I could understand why they'd need to do it for an underpass, but I thought avoiding that need was one of the main reasons for the tunnel.

[fabricator]

The costs aren't just from the tunnels under Grange/Port roads and the railway, its also the need to relocate a high voltage substation and overhead power lines. When ETSA was government owned, it could simply eat the cost, but now the government have to pay the full costs directly.

Why would they need to be relocated? I could understand why they'd need to do it for an underpass, but I thought avoiding that need was one of the main reasons for the tunnel.

Lets start with the power poles being right besides the road, so a tunnel wide enough to fit the same sized road is going to undercut the pole foundations, and the fence around the substation itself. The foundation for a 66kv concrete pole is about a 4x4x4m concrete block.

Bigger problem, the substation was designed to take the power from poles located next to the road, with switching equipment located just behind the fence. By moving the pole further away to get away from the tunnel, to say where the fence is, you then need to move the switching gear as well to provide safe clearance and cable angles/slack.

The substation looks old and in need of a rebuild anyway.

[Norman]

I believe there is a current study underway for the whole corridor.

From the Nation Building website: http://www.nationbuildingprogram.gov.au ... 8_2009.pdf
South Road:Planning Australian Government contribution is capped at $70m.

Also a press release here in relation to the northern end of South Road: http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov. ... 7_2008.htm

Another one here from February 2009: http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov. ... 1_2009.htm

That press release includes the following information:

The Australian Government commitment includes $70 million to plan for a traffic light free road all the way from the Southern Expressway to the Port River Expressway.

The actual project info for the South Road upgrade: http://www.nationbuildingprogram.gov.au ... _id=san009

[Wayno]

i am still very surprised that the upgrade from north of grand junction to prexy - which is going to be a major project - has had limited discussion in this forum, nobody seems to know much about it but it is due to start next year - the feds have agreed to the funding

i predict an announcement with fanfair (dancing girls, elephants, fireworks, Foley juggling wads of cash) about 6-8 weeks before the March election...

[Hooligan]

i am still very surprised that the upgrade from north of grand junction to prexy - which is going to be a major project - has had limited discussion in this forum, nobody seems to know much about it but it is due to start next year - the feds have agreed to the funding

i predict an announcement with fanfair (dancing girls, elephants, fireworks, Foley juggling wads of cash) about 6-8 weeks before the March election...

Can i ride an elephant?
And will there or will there not be face painting at the announcement?

[Wayno]

Can i ride an elephant?
And will there or will there not be face painting at the announcement?

You can ride an elephant, but you may not. The face painting is compulsory.

[Hooligan]

sweet..... face painting!!!!!

I think we just planned Wayno's next birthday party.

[drsmith]

I believe there is a current study underway for the whole corridor.

From the Nation Building website: http://www.nationbuildingprogram.gov.au ... 8_2009.pdf
South Road:Planning Australian Government contribution is capped at $70m.

The outcome of that study will be very interesting.

I'm wondering whether the preference in the end will be to construct a road (either surface or tunnel) along a new allignment for part or all of the inner western suburbs section. I'm thinking inparticular in the vicinity of Port Road given the service relocation issues discussed above along the present allignment.

It's also hard to see how a large part of South Road could ultimately be a non-stop expressway and still provide sufficient access for local traffic. This marriage was decided against for Port Wakefield Road between the Sailsbury Highway and the NEXY let alone South Road.

[Norman]

From ABC News Online

$812m road project for northern Adelaide

Premier Mike Rann says $812 million of federal and state money will be spent on a link from the Port River Expressway through to Regency Road in Adelaide's northern suburbs.

Mr Rann says it will have a 2.8-kilometre road bridge, which will be 10 metres above the existing roadway.

The South Australian Premier says the construction project will create about 2,750 jobs.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is in Adelaide, says $500 million will be federal money.

"It's all part of relieving some of the traffic burdens and the freight burdens on Adelaide's road network," he told commercial radio.

"It's together with the other big infrastructure investments we've made here - the desal plant, $300 million, plus investments in the extension of the Noarlunga to Seaford rail line."

Good to hear that this will be going ahead now. A good start to the South Road upgrade up north. I don't quite get what the 10 metre high road bridge will be though...

[Shuz]

Quite a significant chunk solved in the South Road puzzle.

[Prince George]

I don't quite get what the 10 metre high road bridge will be though...

It sounds like an elevated freeway or "viaduct".

[fabricator]

Must have finally dawned on the government they need to fix the section of South Road-Salisbury Highway where it crosses the train line before Grand Junction Road.

[Wayno]

Can someone who has mastered "MS Paint" please draw a pikkie showing where this elevated rd will run - i'm confoosed...

[rhino]

The Feds actually announced money for this section of road about a year or so ago, so it hasn't finally dawned on them - they've just released the plans, i.e. they've decided on what to do to fix the problem, and they're making their plans public.