$620m Darlington upgrade set to be extended by 1km
THE $620 million Darlington upgrade will be extended but at no extra cost to the taxpayer, the State Government says.
THE $620 million Darlington upgrade will be extended but at no extra cost to the taxpayer, the State Government says.
The revised plans for the upgrade, released on Sunday, add 1km to the lowered non-stop motorway, taking it past Tonsley Boulevard and enabling motorists to avoid another two sets of traffic lights.
Ministers announced the tender for the project was awarded to Gateway South, a joint venture between Fulton Hogan and Laing O’Rourke.
The State and Federal Governments are also considering extending the existing Tonsley rail line 650m, including a 520m rail bridge, to the Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre.
If approved, that project would cost about $85 million, create about 75 extra jobs and take between 18 months and two years to complete.
It could cut the travel time from the FMC to the city from between 32 and 40 minutes, using existing express bus services, to about 22 minutes by train.
The revised scope of the Darlington project, released today, involves reconfiguring about 3.3km of South Rd, from the Southern Expressway to north of Tonsley Boulevard, into an expressway-standard road.
It will include a lowered non-stop motorway that passes underneath Flinders Drive, Sturt Rd, Mimosa Tce/Sutton Rd, Ayliffes Rd and Tonsley Boulevard.
There will be at-grade service roads along both sides of the lowered motorway, to access connecting roads, and a free-flow interchange at the junction of the Southern Expressway and Main South Rd.
The extra 1km of works will enable motorists to avoid another two sets of traffic lights, including the busy intersection of South, Ayliffes and Shepherds Hill roads.
State Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan said the project would cost no more to deliver, partly because lower activity in the state’s private construction sector meant companies were able to offer competitive prices.
Construction on the Darlington upgrade is expected to start early next year and be completed by the end of 2018.
Mr Mullighan said the time frame would not need to be extended to include the extra 1km of works.
He said no extra homes would need to be compulsorily acquired to complete the 1km extension, although the government would need to reclaim some land from its agency Renewal SA and perhaps take over a small part of a nearby car dealership.
Federal Major Projects Minister Paul Fletcher said that without significant new investment, the corridor would continue to experience severe congestion.
“The Darlington project will reduce congestion, improve safety, boost freight transport productivity and increase competitiveness for export industries,” he said.
“Travel time savings are also expected to be significant for motorists and public transport users.”
Mr Mullighan conceded the road works would cause some inconvenience but said the contractors were required to keep lanes open during peak periods and ensure 24/7 access to the FMC.
Opposition Davenport MP Sam Duluk said Bedford Park residents would be much happier about the design released today, which offered better access to South Rd.
Opposition transport spokesman Corey Wingard said the latest announcement was “Darlington design plan 5.0”.
“We want it to get moving quickly because we need the jobs here in South Australia,” he said.
“We don’t want to see the cost blow out as has happened with other projects.”
Mr Wingard said extending the train line would benefit locals but the Government’s “poor record” with delays to rail projects would make some people sceptical it would go ahead.