On the fast track to delivering South Australia’s largest ever road infrastructure project
The largest road infrastructure project ever undertaken in South Australia will deliver a faster, safer, greener driving experience, create thousands of new jobs and attract business investment to the state.
Extending along South Rd from the open motorway at Darlington to around the Brickworks Marketplace in Thebarton, the River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project will complete the 78km North-South Corridor from Gawler to Old Noarlunga. Two separate sets of tunnels will be constructed, connected by an open motorway, with a combined total distance of 10.5km.
TIME SAVER
Expected to open to traffic in 2031, the T2D design will see three lanes of non-stop motorway operating in each direction – in addition to two lanes of South Rd in each direction – significantly reducing congestion on key routes and improving commute times for road users.
“South Rd is a major transport road, with peak congestion rates five times higher than Sydney and Melbourne,” says Jon Whelan, CEO of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport. “The T2D section carries just over 60,000 vehicles a day. Our modelling shows that, once completed, there will be around 130,000 vehicle movements per day in the tunnels, which will alleviate pressure on parallel roads including Marion Rd, Goodwood Rd and Unley Rd.
“On completion, commuters will save about 30-40 minutes on a peak hour journey between the River Torrens and Darlington. That brings better productivity but also more time for people to spend at home, rather than stuck in traffic.”
Drivers travelling from east to west will also experience improved journey times. “At the moment, South Rd has 21 sets of traffic lights that the T2D will bypass, so that will relieve congestion on east-west roads like Sir Donald Bradman Dr,” Whelan says.
SUPPORTING SA’S WORKFORCE
It is estimated that, over the construction period, the T2D Project will support around 5500 jobs a year, creating local employment opportunities across a range of trades and roles. “We’re aiming to make sure we deliver on the commitments of 90 per cent of South Australian workers and a 20 per cent uplift in apprentices, trainees and Aboriginal workers,” Whelan says. “This sets us up as a state to start moving forward for other major projects including the AUKUS submarines and other infrastructure projects.”
The flow-on effect will in turn boost South Australia’s economic growth. “These workers are going to be spending into the economy,” Whelan says. “That will have a major uplift in South Australia’s spend, which also then feeds into other businesses – whether it be going to the movies, buying lunch, going out for dinner, buying South Australian wine or produce.
“The construction and operation of this motorway will contribute approximately $9.1 billion to South Australia’s Gross Domestic Product between 2023 and 2050. You’re not only looking at those 5500 jobs injecting just under $5 billion in the South Australian economy but the project itself, once completed, will result in just under $9 billion of congestion cost saving and a range of other economic benefits.”
CONNECTIVITY
A fast, free-flowing North-South Corridor will be a major drawcard for businesses looking to invest in Adelaide’s north and south. “Around 77 per cent of South Australia’s produce still goes by road,” Whelan says. “Diesel costs are probably one of the largest costs for a truckie, and that would impact where they might start a business. The North-South Corridor will provide better connectivity in and out of the city and to the airport. It’s a no-brainer project.”
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is a large part of the T2D remit. “A key part of our procurement is what sustainability benefits will be provided by the construction,” Whelan says. “We need to make sure our infrastructure is sustainable, using materials such as green concrete, green steel and renewable energy.”
The project will also see a 20 per cent increase in tree canopy volume and more walking and cycling paths created on adjoining roads. “The T2D is not just about road traffic, cars and commercial vehicles – it’s about shared use paths that will be a benefit to local communities.”
COMMUNITY
For Whelan, the strong community support for the T2D, despite the need for the government to acquire around 522 properties along the route, has been especially pleasing. “I’ve never seen that for major projects of this nature – we’re sitting around that 70 per cent community support,” he says.
“The industry is buzzing about the opportunities here in South Australia, particularly with this project. The state has a spring in its step.”
Expertise delivers mega road project
Delivering the final and most complex section of the North-South Corridor will transform not just the way South Australians travel, but also the capability of the state’s construction workforce over the next eight years.
With other sections of the North-South Corridor already up and running, including the Regency to Pym, Northern Connector, Torrens to Torrens and Darlington Upgrade projects, focus has now turned to upgrading the River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) section to motorway standard.
The project will see the construction of two sets of tunnels under South Rd, as well as open motorway and surface road works. The southern tunnels, about 4.5km in length, will run from Clovelly Park to Glandore, and the northern tunnels, running from Richmond to Ashwin Pde at Torrensville, will cover just over 2km in length. Each set of tunnels will provide a three-lane motorway in each direction. “It is a complex engineering project,” says Malcolm Short, civil engineer and director engineering for the project at the Department for Infrastructure and Transport. “We have spent a number of years planning what’s required for this remaining section of the corridor and the major construction period is going to take about seven years.
“We have put an enormous amount of effort into elements like geotechnical investigations to thoroughly understand the ground conditions and ensure the successful delivery of this vital project.”
Construction of the tunnels will be a new experience in Adelaide, part of which will involve using two heavy duty tunnel boring machines to excavate the soil and line the tunnels. “These are very large pieces of equipment: they’re about 15m in diameter, about 100m long and weigh about 4500 tonnes,” Short says.
“Those machines will be fabricated overseas, delivered to the project and assembled on-site. We would expect they will commence work on the southern tunnels in 2026 and the project will be completely opened by the end of 2031.”
The T2D Project is currently in the tender process, with two consortia being considered for the main works contract, which is expected to be awarded around the middle of 2024.
With an estimated 5500 jobs per year expected to be supported over the main construction period, the project promises to provide employment and economic stability for local workers and businesses. “The local workforce and local businesses will be totally engaged on this project,” Short says. “Due to its overall scale and the length of time it will take, T2D will provide businesses with the confidence to participate, invest and grow throughout the development.”
For Short, who has returned to his home state after many years working on large-scale projects in other parts of Australia and overseas, there is pride in helping lead such a significant infrastructure project in South Australia.
“My highlight is being able to draw on the expertise in our team and my personal experience,” he says. “To be able to come back to Adelaide and help shape this mega project and deliver the best value for the state is very satisfying.”
Changing for the better to beat congestion
Like many road users, Alex Filipatos regularly seeks alternative routes to avoid travel congestion on South Rd.
The Hilton resident faces the daily challenge of getting through the junction between South Rd and Sir Donald Bradman Dr, where delays of up to 30 minutes during peak travel times are not uncommon. “If I can avoid going on South Rd, I will,” he says. “I try not to use it wherever possible.”
Filipatos says the Torrens to Darlington, once completed, will “make a world of difference” to drivers travelling in all directions. “At the moment if you’re travelling from east to west, you’re sitting there for a while because the traffic lights are trying to get the traffic flowing north to south; whereas once this project is completed, they’ll be able to change the priority to east to west. So it’s not just the North-South Corridor that’s going to change – it’s the whole area around it.”
The construction professional recognises the overall benefits the T2D Project will deliver. Filipatos is part of the Community Reference Group (CRG) which provides a forum for the local community to offer input into various aspects of the project during the planning and design phases.
“I think it’s understated just how important this project is,” he says. “Being part of the CRG helped me gain insight into what goes into these big projects. It’s shown me the T2D is a lot more than just a road project – it’s an investment for the state and the community.”
Filipatos says most local residents are prepared for any inconvenience during construction and support the T2D Project. “It’s short-term pain for long-term gain,” he says. “It’s a state-changing project. For someone who works in construction, it’s exciting for everyone involved in the industry.
Find out more at t2d.sa.gov.au[1]
Originally published as On the fast track to delivering South Australia’s largest ever road infrastructure project[2]
References
- ^ www.t2d.sa.gov.au (www.t2d.sa.gov.au)
- ^ On the fast track to delivering South Australia’s largest ever road infrastructure project (www.adelaidenow.com.au)