Darlington interchange signs are way too confusing, says Rex Jory

The Darlington interchange is a marvel of engineering, says Rex Jory. But the lack of signs is possibly going to get someone killed.

The finished ‘spaghetti’ Darlington interchange on South Rd.

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The signposting on the $750m Darlington interchange is, at best, inadequate and, at worst, potentially life threatening.

The interchange is probably the most expensive piece of infrastructure built in South Australia. It is a marvel of engineering and construction.

But anyone using the interchange for the first time, particularly if they are trying to exit from the centre of the network, can easily get lost in the spaghetti maze of looping overpasses and turn-offs.

Now I’m sure the designers, engineers and construction workers – familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the interchange – have no trouble finding their way around. It’s the same for local residents and workers. They have grown up with the emerging interchange.

But a couple of weeks ago I had to go to the Flinders Medical Centre for a minor medical procedure and used the interchange for the first time. I approached it heading south down South Rd. I assumed the hospital would be handsomely signposted.

I crept through the spaghetti and ended up on the Southern Expressway – the first turn-off was Reynella. I wove my way back on to the interchange searching for the FMC turn-off. Nothing. Nervous about guessing or changing lanes too rapidly, I ended up on Ayliffes Rd heading into the city.

A U-turn, and this time I followed a Flinders University sign, which took me to the FMC.

If it hadn’t been so frustrating it could have been a scene from a Mr Bean movie.

And in some circumstances the outcome could have been far from funny. Imagine, for example, if I had a sick child in the car in need of emergency medical treatment.

Or if I had an appointment with a specialist which I missed because of the delay and confusion.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the lack of adequate signposting could, quite literally, become a matter of life and death.

Regular users of the interchange may say I’m being over critical or overdramatic. That the existing signage meets some mystical international standard and is appropriate for the interchange.

The completed Darlington interchange at South Rd.

Maybe. But I have driven on some pretty complicated cloverleaf road systems in Britain, Europe, Japan and North America – often coping with the additional difficulty on the right-hand side of the road and translating in foreign languages.

Somehow I managed to find my way around. Yet I get bushed at Darlington. The problem lies with the signage. Or lack of it.

Added to the confusion is that the satellite navigation system in our car wasn’t up to date with the complicated interchange design. It was worse than useless. Google maps on my mobile, the same.

Drivers, like me, who are unfamiliar with the interchange, are also a traffic hazard. Watching for signs and turn-offs or changing lanes at short notice can cause accidents.

I would urge new state Transport Minister Corey Wingard to take a drive through the Darlington spaghetti. Not in his chauffeur-driven car, but alone, behind the wheel. Alternatively, send one of his staff, unfamiliar with the interchange, to do a trial drive and report back.

But I fall back on a simple premise. If I got bushed trying to pick my way through the interchange, other drivers must be having the same problem.

Having said that, the interchange is clearly a fantastic piece of infrastructure, an engineering concept that has enormous social and economic benefits for the entire southern suburbs and rural regions of Adelaide.

It is an integral part of the north-south corridor running through Adelaide. It has transformed the stop-start chug through Darlington, saving time and conserving fuel.

It will enhance the business-investment options for the south and speed up delivery times.

The projected cost was $754m, of which $600m was tipped in by the Federal Government. It is money well spent.

Let’s hope the State Government can find a few more dollars to upgrade the signage on the Darlington interchange.