neoballmon wrote:[Shuz] wrote:Alternatively, I'd suggest to reserve a corridor through the Mitsubishi site for a ground level freeway adjacent the Tonsley rail corridor, and then tunnel from the northernmost edge of the land parcel onwards to the former Glenelg rail corridor at Plympton.
They should definately save some of Mitsibishi for whatever may happen in the future, but that's still one hell of a tunnel! And the rail corridor isn't overly long, or wide, and would only reach Mile End, before I assume it would start to tunnel again?
Measured on nearmap, its about 5km from Tonsley to Plympton, 3-4km along the rail corridor and another 7km to Regency Road, and the Superway.
I don't think that using the Mitsubishi land adjacent to the Tonsley rail corridor would be the most effective solution, for the reasons you have already mentioned.
Apart from Edwardstown, the section of South Road between Anzac Hwy and Ayliffes Rd is more free-flowing than the section between Anzac Hwy and the Superway.
Hence I think the expense of tunnels etc south of Anzac Hwy on the North-South corridor is unnecessary. It would be better to make use of the existing grade-separated infrastructure in place on the Anzac Hwy and Cross Rd intersections and build on from that to create our non-stop South Rd.
Between Anzac Hwy and Ayliffes Rd, land acquisition would be required on the western side of South Rd to permit the construction of a continuous 3x3 lane South Rd, with a right-turn median strip in the middle. The businesses to be acquired are mostly light industrial (motor repair workshops and the like), so no aesthetic loss there. Entire property acquisition would not be required for the entire length between Anzac Hwy and Ayliffes Rd, for example at Castle Plaza and Mitsubishi you can simply acquire the extra metres you need from the car park and lawn areas respectively). Speed limit on South Rd (south of Anzac Hwy) to Ayliffes Rd would be 60kmh, due to the concentration of existing businesses fronting South Rd on the eastern side.
The South/Cross Rd intersection would need to be beefed up and widened to cater for an expected increase in the number of semi-trailers using this freight route from the South Eastern Freeway. I would deal with the mess at Edwardstown by removing all traffic lights and only permitting left-turns onto South Rd. Right-turns from South Rd onto key secondary streets would still be accommodated by a right-turn lane in the median, however the number of existing right-turns off South Rd should be reduced substantially.
An overpass would need to be constructed over Daws Rd (note overpass rather than underpass because it’s mainly light industrial near this intersection; overpasses I assume are more cost-effective). From there, a simple overpass would also be required at the Ayliffes Rd intersection.
However, South Rd between Anzac Hwy and the Superway is more problematic. There are no existing grade separations, intersections with major roads are more closely-spaced, it runs through residential areas, and there are heritage buildings fronting South Rd between Sir Donald Bradman Drive and the Brickworks.
Here I think it is more appropriate to go with a privately-built, 5km tolled tunnel between the Superway and a widened 3x3 lane James Congdon Dr, as suggested on the
First Tolled Tunnel thread. Speed limit in the tunnel would be 80kmh. Hence the state government doesn’t have to fund the most expensive part of the North-South corridor. This tunnel is likely to have a price tag of $2bn +. Imagine ... Thebarton (city fringe) to the Superway would take 4 minutes! It's a significant time saving during rush and business hours, and in my opinion probably the only stretch of road in SA which could be economically-feasible as a tolled tunnel.
From James Congdon Dr some land acquisition would be required on the western side of South Rd leading to Anzac Hwy, with an overpass to be constructed over Richmond Rd. Again, the businesses to be acquired are generally unattractive light industrial. Speed limit on James Congdon Dr and South Rd (north of Anzac Hwy) would be 70kmh.
Thoughts?