Designs reveal the final section for SA's Torrens to Darlington project

Designs reveal the final section for SA’s Torrens to Darlington project

The T2D Project Reference Design provides three motorway lanes in each direction, connecting the North-South Motorway north of the River Torrens to the Darlington Upgrade Project at Darlington.

Reference design for the final section of the $9.9 billion Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project in South Australia has been released for community feedback today.

The latest release shows, for the first time, the design of the project in its entirety and how motorists will travel between the River Torrens and Anzac Highway.

Over the past decade, extensive work has been undertaken to identify a preferred alignment and configuration for the Torrens to Darlington section of the North-South Corridor – the final 10.5 kilometre piece and the most complex part of the motorway.

The preferred design uses a combination of tunnels, lowered and ground-level motorways, as well as overpasses and underpasses. This solution protects cultural sites, opens our suburbs up to new recreational spaces and reduces the extent of property acquisition.

The Reference Design covers the full length of the 10.5-kilometre non-stop motorway between the River Torrens and Darlington, which includes nearly seven kilometres of tunnels that will take tens of thousands of vehicles off South Road every day.

The T2D Project is the largest road infrastructure project in South Australia’s history and when complete in 2030, it will provide a 78-kilometre non-stop, traffic light-free North-South Corridor between Gawler and Old Noarlunga.

South Australia’s Premier Steven Marshall said this once-in-a-generation project will underpin the state’s construction industry for the next decade.

“This project is not only a generational game changer for South Australian motorists it’s also a huge boost for our local jobs market,” Premier Marshall said.

“The benefits of our solution will be felt for generations with this project estimated to create more than 4,900 jobs during peak construction, reduce travel time between River Torrens to Darlington to just nine minutes and connect the north and south of our state with an approximately 78 kilometre non-stop motorway.”

South Australia’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Corey Wingard said this transformative motorway is the largest and most technically challenging road infrastructure project SA has ever seen.

“From today, the community can see how it will operate as a whole and the incredible benefits it will deliver through improved travel times, local connectivity and urban amenity,” Minister Wingard said.

“The design includes two sets of three-lane tunnels making up more than approximately 60 per cent of the motorway and it retains significant sites such as the Thebarton Theatre, Queen of Angels Church and Hindmarsh Cemetery.

“The positioning of the northern portal of the Northern Tunnels means Thebarton Oval, the historic World War II air-raid shelter at Ashley Street, and the 1912 Hallett kiln and chimney next to the Brickworks Marketplace will also be retained.”

“This is a terrific outcome and it again demonstrates that progress and preservation can co-exist in the design and delivery of nationally significant infrastructure.”

Currently, 16 per cent of all trips across Greater Adelaide rely on a section of the T2D Project or its adjacent parallel alternatives and 96 per cent of people live within 30 minutes of the North-South Corridor, highlighting how important it is to complete the missing piece.

The T2D Project has already awarded contracts worth more than $100 million, supporting 286 jobs. Construction of Stage 1 of the T2D Project (south of Anzac Highway) is expected to start in 2023 and take about five years to complete, while work on Stage 2 (north of Anzac Highway) is scheduled to begin in 2026, subject to planning, approvals and funding, with completion scheduled for 2030.

Stage 1 funding of $5.422 billion is currently jointly committed by the Australian and South Australian Governments.

The total number of full property acquisitions identified through the Reference Design is 393 – in line with the original estimate of approximately 390 properties announced by the T2D Project one year ago.

The design will be showcased from 29 November until 12 December at more than 20 displays and information kiosks at shopping centres, council libraries and community centres across the metropolitan area as part of the next round of engagement.

The Reference Design is available on the T2D website: https://dit.sa.gov.au/nsc/torrens_to_darlington/