Adelaide freight bypass passes first hurdle

A plan to remove killer trucks from the deadly South-Eastern Freeway and the wider city has passed a state government economic study – but there’s still one huge problem.

Plans for a bypass to allow trucks to avoid the South-Eastern Freeway and city is economically justified, residents have been told.

Transport Department executives on Monday night told a meeting organised by community group Our Roads SA the project was “economically positive”.

However, the same meeting heard there was also no funding set aside for the bypass “at this time”, sparking fury.

A $10m inquiry into the viability of building a bypass – which would begin at Murray Bridge and pass through Truro to Port Adelaide – will not be completed until the end of 2023.

But Transport Department executive director, Andrew Excell, revealed to the recorded meeting: “We know if we invested into that network – it is economically positive. In other words, a benefit-cost ratio of more than one.”

Our Roads SA chair Joanna Wells said the organisation was happy with the news the bypass – backed by the trucking industry – had passed the economic hurdle.

She said the community was keen to see an end to 660,000 truck movements on the freeway each year.

Traffic at the intersection of Glen Osmond Road and Portrush Road at the bottom of the South-Eastern Freeway. Picture Emma Brasier

“The feeling was very positive, and it seems to me there is a determination to make this happen,’' she said.

“We have seen successive governments kick this can down the road.”

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis qualified the statement, and said the bypass was only part of the “network” the department was referring to.

“We have invested $10 million into undertaking a strategic business case into the high productivity vehicle network access proposal, of which the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass corridor forms a part,’’ he said.

“This would also need to undergo independent assessment by Infrastructure Australia and Infrastructure South Australia before forming part of future funding submissions.”

In December, the state government released another list of possible fixes for the notoriously dangerous freeway – with no promises to implement them and no specific timelines.

Opposition transport spokesman Vincent Tarzia said the meeting was also told there was no money available to fund the project, angering some residents.

Department CEO John Whelan can be heard on an audio recording telling the crowd: “A Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass is not funded at this time.”

Residents are then heard to heckle him saying: “We are sick and tired of bulls**t” and “live here at three or four or five o’clock in the morning and hear the noise of all the trucks.”

Government has for twenty years tried and failed to make the freeway safer for trucks and cars heading downhill.

Mr Tarzia, who attended the meeting, said when Mr Koutsantonis was last week quizzed in parliament on whether he would build the bypass, he had avoided the question.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis speaking to media about preventing truck accidents on the downtrack of the South Eastern Freeway. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

“South Australians live in fear of when the next truck tragedy will happen at the bottom of the South-Eastern Freeway and we know this bypass will get many heavy vehicles off that stretch of road,” Mr Tarzia said.

“Right now, the community is getting conflicting signals when it comes to the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass from the Malinauskas Labor Government, when they deserve clarity on this important project.”

Also attending the meeting, Bragg MP Jack Batty said locals regularly raised safety concerns about heavy vehicles on Portrush Road and their frustrations had boiled over on Monday night.

“My local community is very loudly saying ‘bring on the bypass’, but under Peter Malinauskas this important project has stalled,” he said.

SA Freight Council spokesman Jonathan Wilson said he was also at the meeting and the mood had been “overwhelmingly positive”.