Adelaide's T2D project budget boosted by $2.26B Federal funding

Adelaide’s T2D project budget boosted by $2.26B Federal funding

Adelaide's T2D project budget lifted by $2.26B Federal funding — Image courtesy of the South Australian Government.

The Federal Government is set to invest an additional $2.26 billion to complete the final stage of Adelaide’s North-South Corridor.

The Torrens to Darlington (T2D) project is the final stage of the North-South Corridor, and once complete, will deliver 78 kilometres of non-stop motorway between Gawler and Old Noarlunga, slashing 20 minutes of commuting time and bypassing 21 sets of traffic lights.

The current roadway is not working effectively and will not be able to handle the projected number of vehicles that will need to use the road, or cater for the size of freight carriers wanting to travel along it.

The T2D section will comprise of 10.5 kilometres of motorway, including approximately seven kilometres of twin three-lane tunnels, with construction on the project expected to support 4900 jobs.

The 10.5km T2D project will be delivered over two stages, with stage one (Southern Tunnel) connecting Darlington to the Anzac Hwy and stage two (Airport Link and Northern Tunnel) connecting the River Torrens and Anzac Highway.

The design for T2D consists of two tunnel sections joined by a lowered motorway, with the Southern Tunnel to connect Darlington to Anzac Highway, while the Northern Tunnel will be located north of Anzac Highway and connect to Torrensville.

Federal Minister for Finance and Senator for South Australia Simon Birmingham said the T2D would complete South Australia’s largest infrastructure project.

“The Darlington interchange and northern stretch of the motorway have been transformational for road users, with this tunnelling of around 60 per cent of the final stretch allowing motorists to bypass approximately 21 sets of traffic lights and have one of the best transport experiences in the nation,” he said.

A reference design has been released to the community for public feedback. Tenders have been issued by the South Australian Government for works on the North-South Corridor Torrens to Darlington section. These include the construction of tunnels, building inspection service, cable laying, bridge construction including construction from prefabricated components and asphalt surfacing.

Construction of Stage 1 of the T2D Project is expected to start in 2023 and take about five years to complete, while work on Stage 2 is scheduled to begin in 2026, subject to planning, approvals and funding, with completion scheduled for 2030.

Potential contractors are now able to register their interest for providing services to the project. The tenders expire 20 December 2022.

The $9.9 billion project is jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments on a 50:50 basis, with construction expected to start in late 2023 and be finished by late 2030.

For more information on the project, click here.