Federal Government commits to stage one of Truro bypass, as part of $525m funding announcement

A long-awaited Truro freight bypass has received new federal funding – after previously being stripped of $161m – and it’s been welcomed by the state’s peaking trucking body.

A freight truck bypass around Adelaide is back on the agenda, as a new map shows heavy vehicles being diverted from the Hills and bypassing several small Mid Murray towns.

The Federal Government this week unveiled a $525m commitment to stage one of the High Productivity Vehicle Network, which includes a long-awaited Truro township bypass.

The government released a map of the proposed route which would leave the highway west of Murray Bridge and head toward Truro, with minor bypasses around Cambrai and Sedan.

To cater for heavy vehicles, funding was committed to upgrade council maintained roads, the Monarto interchange and for new overtaking lanes between Monarto and the Sturt Highway.

A map of the Truro bypass. Picture: Federal Government

SA Road Transport Association executive officer Steve Shearer welcomed the commitment given a forecast of a 100 per cent increase in road freight demand over the next decade.

Mr Shearer said as a result larger trucks than semi-trailers – up to 19m long – would be needed, such as B-doubles, B-triples and road trains – up to 53.5m long.

“We cannot put – and the community would not want us to put – twice as many trucks on the road and we’d struggle to find twice as many drivers to keep them moving,” Mr Shearer said.

“So you need to have a network for high productivity vehicles, such as road trains, and this is the first step.”

Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis and SA Road Transport Association executive officer Steve Shearer speak about ways to prevent truck accidents on the downtrack of the South Eastern Freeway in 2022. Picture: Kelly Barnes

First flagged in 2019, the bypass was to improve road safety and boost freight productivity.

It received an 80/20 funding commitment from the federal and state governments for a single-lane bypass, but in 2023, the federal government cut its $161m funding commitment.

A new business case for a dual-lane bypass was submitted by the state government to Infrastructure Australia earlier this year, which received the new funding commitment.

It was revealed during senate estimates on Thursday that federal infrastructure department officials expected a 50/50 split with the state government to deliver the project.

State Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis on Thursday said he was unaware of the proposed split and “generally freight projects are funded 80/20”.

Mr Koutsantonis added there was “no solution” that would take trucks completely out of Adelaide’s suburbs given the freight delivered there.

“However, modelling indicates the bypass solution would see up to 240 heavy vehicles a day diverted from the freeway and urban roads in the short to medium term, with a further 240 heavy vehicles a day removed over the longer term,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

RAA infrastructure and road safety manager Charles Mountain said the bypass had been a priority for the organisation for a number of years to divert heavy vehicles from Portrush and Cross roads.

RAA's Charles Mountain. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“Sadly, in South Australia we’re all too familiar with the spate of tragic accidents at the bottom of the freeway from out-of-control trucks,” Mr Mountain said.

In 2014, two people died when an out-of-control truck hit their cars while they were waited at traffic lights at the intersection of Cross and Glen Osmond roads.

In 2010, a pedestrian was killed by an out-of-control semi-trailer while waiting at a bus stop near the same intersection.

The government’s HPVN funding also included a duplication of the Swanport Bridge, as previously reported by The Advertiser.

An out-of-control truck crashes wall at the bottom of the South Eastern Freeway at Glen Osmond. 15 May 2024. Picture: Dean Martin