Contractors begin to fix South Rd Darlington motorway collapse

Heavy machinery has moved in to tear down shotcrete between two collapsed portions of the Darlington motorway, as motorists get yet another promise on a completion date.

• The new fix for crumbling Darlington motorway
• Two pieces of concrete fell off the Darlington motorway
• Mystery over source of water that caused motorway to crumble

Motorists have been assured they will be able to drive safety on the new Darlington Upgrade sometime in the first half of next year, as work gets underway to fix and prevent further concrete collapses.

Heavy machinery moved in on Tuesday to tear down 220m of spray-on concrete from the entire eastern wall of the lowered motorway between Sturt Rd and Flinders Dr.

It follows two collapses in the area in May, when large concrete chunks fell off. The event has been blamed on water damage.

Work starts to tear down the existing shotcrete between the two sections of embankment that collapse on the South Rd Darlington upgrade. Picture: Brenton Edwards

The water source that caused that embankment to crumble remains unclear, and the State Government and contractor are in conflict over who will ultimately pay the bill. To date, remediation costs on the site have been carried by the contractor.

As reported by The Advertiser, the new fix will involve driving large “soil nails” into the embankment, and then applying new spray-on concrete over the top to seal the job.

Acting Transport Minister David Speirs said the road was expected to open to motorists in the first half of next year and, as the local MP, he was looking forward to the long-planned project finishing.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are going beyond the initial problem and ensuring that the contractor replaces all of that area,” Mr Speirs said. “We’re getting on and completing this project.

One side of the highway is ready to open to traffic but work is beginning to start to repair the collapsed sections on the other side. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“I just want it finished. I want my local community to have the benefit of this piece of infrastructure, and I look forward to seeing this done.”

The new concreting is expected to be finished by the end of the year, before finishing touches are applied to the $620 million project as a whole.

As recently as April, the transport department released a public newsletter predicting the road would open to motorists this year.

It will form part of an eventual non-stop South Rd freeway from Gawler to Old Noarlunga. The Government is considering options for the final pieces between Darlington and the River Torrens, which could include tunnels.