Claims old South Rd tunnel designs were rushed, could have cost lives

Former designs for the South Road tunnels could have ended in catastrophe, the Transport Minister says – as he admits a delay is likely to cause a budget blowout.

A forced year-long delay in Torrens to Darlington South Road works is likely to cause a blowout to the $9.9bn project cost, as the Transport Minister claims poor tunnel designs could have cost lives.

The state government revealed a delay in the project in the state budget, forced by poor planning and a desire to remove unsightly elevated sections.

There was to be no change in the total cost, it had announced at the time.

But Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis was quizzed on Friday in budget estimates hearings by opposition transport spokesman Vincent Tarzia.

Mr Koutsantonis suggested the previous government had already been told of a blowout and would not rule out further blowouts.

Artist impression of elevated motorways and the tunnels on the Torrens-to-Darlington section the North-South Corridor. Picture: Supplied

“I would not be surprised at all if there was a briefing sitting somewhere in the blue books talking about increased costs,’' he said.

“In fact, I would not be surprised one bit if the former Minister for Infrastructure and Transport had been informed by his department before the last election that the $9.9bn number was not accurate.”

Mr Koutsantonis objected to the opposition questions.

“What the opposition is attempting to do is trying to set a trap. If the project is cheaper than $9.9bn, he will say we have cut things out of the project; if the project is more expensive, he will say cost blowout,’’ he said.

Artists impression of a South Road tunnel. It has been revealed bad designing could have caused “catastrophe” in the tunnel. Picture: Supplied

Mr Koutsantonis hit back and repeated his claims the incoming state government was met with “sub-optimal” designs for the project that had been rushed out for the March election campaign.

“The idea that this project was shovel-ready is laughable,’’ he said.

Mr Koutsantonis revealed advice that one poorly-designed element was a risk to lives on the road.

He criticised an exit ramp from a South Road tunnel that was to turn right on to Anzac Highway via an elevated road.

On the elevated section, motorists were expected to merge from two lanes to one, with the single lane joining Anzac Highway via a left-merge system.

“If anything occurred on that elevated roadway, when we were asking traffic to merge from two lanes to one coming out of a tunnel, you would have seen queuing in that tunnel which could have been catastrophic,’’ he told the committee.

Mr Tarzia also questioned Mr Koutsantonis on how many more homes would be needed to cope with the new designs, and if he would rule out forced acquisitions on Cross Road.

“Can the Minister confirm whether extra homes will need to be acquired for the Torrens to Darlington leg of the north-south corridor in the suburbs of Ashford, Black Forest and

Everard Park?” Mr Tarzia said.

Mr Koutsantonis said: “There will be further acquisitions, so I have already made that public”.

“Whether it is more homes in those suburbs yet I am not sure, but the moment I know the first people we will be telling are those people.”

When asked about properties on Cross Road, Mr Koutsantonis said; “Again, it is premature to rule anything in or out”.