Northern Connector
| Northern Connector South Australia | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°48′08″S 138°35′48″E / 34.802097°S 138.596637°E |
| General information | |
| Type | Freeway (Under construction) |
| Length | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
| Route number(s) |
 National Highway M20 (proposed) |
| Major junctions | |
| North end |
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| |
| South end |
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| Location(s) | |
| Major suburbs / towns | Dry Creek, Globe Derby Park, Bolivar, St Kilda |
| Highway system | |
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Highways in Australia National Highway • Freeways in Australia Highways in South Australia | |
| |
The Northern Connector (proposed route M20) is a 15 kilometre long proposed expressway in Adelaide, South Australia. It will travel from the North-South Motorway (National Highway M2) at Wingfield to the Max Fatchen Expressway (M20) (previously known as the Northern Expressway) as part of an ongoing plan to develop a continuous freeway grade road between Old Noarlunga and Nuriootpa known as the North–South Corridor. The road is proposed to be built with three lanes in each direction and provide a faster, safer and less congested route over the section of the North-South Corridor between South Road and the Max Fatchen Expressway.[1]
This would involve the construction of a complex interchange at the Port River Expressway / North-South Motorway intersection[2] and would also include a major diversion in the main ARTC interstate rail line, which would use the same corridor between Dry Creek, South Australia and Taylors Road at Waterloo Corner. The federal government proposed that it could be the state's first toll road.[3]
2008 plans
In early 2008, the South Australian Government announced plans for the Northern Connector, an eight lane connector roadway, linking the Northern Expressway and South Road, with three intermediate interchanges.[4] This would involve the construction of a four-way cloverstack interchange at the Port River Expressway / South Road intersection. The project would also include a major diversion in the main ARTC interstate rail line, which would run down the middle of the new connector freeway between Dry Creek, South Australia and Taylors Road at Waterloo Corner.[2]
September 2015 announcement
On 14 September 2015, the Premier of South Australia, Jay Weatherill and Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott announced that the road component of the project would start construction in early 2016. The federal government will provide A$788M towards an expected total cost of A$985M. The project is now only three lanes each way (was four in 2008 announcement), and only two intermediate interchanges (Globe Derby Park interchange will not be built in 2015 plans). The road will not be subject to direct tolls, but South Australia will become a testing ground for a "network fee" which involves charging trucks based on road use and impact in place of high registration fees.[5] This construction includes the road and shared path, but not the rail component.[6] The rail corridor would now be reserved on the western side of the road, rather than down the median strip.
Preliminary works
Part of the early work for the project involved realigning the intersection at Kings Road and Bolivar Road. Kings Road is a significant cross-suburban route (State Route A18) feeding from McIntyre Road past Parafield Airport. It terminated at a T-junction with Bolivar Road only 300 metres (980 ft) from the Bolivar Road and Port Wakefield Road intersection. Prior to the main Northern Connector construction, the intersection would be realigned so that they meet at a new two-lane roundabout constructed on vacant land south of the former intersection. Kings Road would become the main road that continued to the intersection at Port Wakefield Road, and beyond to the Northern Connector interchange.[7]
Prime contractors for the main road design and construction were shortlisted to Lend Lease and a consortium of Leighton Contractors and York Civil. These two bidders were invited to tender for the complete works in December 2015 after having responded to an open call for expressions of interest in October. It was expected that the contract would be awarded to one of these bidders before major construction began in May 2016 with completion anticipated in December 2019.[8]
In January 2016, work was commenced carting earth and brine mud to build embankments across the former salt flats. This is required to allow it to settle properly before the road can be built on top.[9]
Construction contract
Lend Lease Engineering were awarded the contract, with actual construction expected to commence in July 2016, to be completed by mid-2019. The announcement included support for other sectors of the South Australian economy, with a requirement that 7500 tonnes of steel would be sourced from Arrium and at least half of the workers hired from the northern suburbs of Adelaide where other industries are reducing workforce - notably Holden will be ceasing local production of cars in 2017.[10]
In November 2016, it was announced that the majority of the road surface would be concrete, rather than asphalt which is used on most roads in South Australia. This was expected to have a slightly higher up-front cost, but significantly lower maintenance costs over 30 years.[11]
Proposed exits
| LGA | Location | km | mi | Name | Destinations[12] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playford | Waterloo Corner | 0 | 0.0 | Port Wakefield Road |  Max Fatchen Expressway (National Highway M20) north-east / Port Wakefield Road (National Highway A1) north – Elizabeth, Gawler, Adelaide, Dry Creek | Northern extent |
| Salisbury | Waterloo Corner Interchange | Waterloo Corner Road (extended west of current end at Port Wakefield Road) – Salisbury, St Kilda | ||||
| Bolivar | Bolivar Interchange |  Kings Road (A18, extended southwest of current end) – Parafield Gardens, Paralowie | Bolivar and Kings roads realigned to the east | |||
| Port Adelaide Enfield | Dry Creek–Wingfield boundary | 15 | 9.3 | Port River Expressway Interchange |    North-South Motorway (M2) south / Port River Expressway (A9) west / Salisbury Highway (National Highway A13) east – Regency Park, Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Dry Creek | southern extent |
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See also
References
- ↑ "Northern Connector". Infrastructure S.A. 15 Aug 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- 1 2 "northern connector" (PDF). Infrastructure S.A. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
- ↑ Schultz, Duane (13 August 2013). "Federal Government push to make $1.1bn Northern Connector South Australia's first toll road". News Review Messenger. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ↑ "Northern Connector". Infrastructure S.A. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
- ↑ Jean, Peter; Starick, Paul (14 September 2015). "Northern Connector Work to Start on Crucial $985 Million Adelaide Road Link". The Advertiser. News Corp. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ↑ "Northern Connector Project". Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure South Australia. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ↑ "Kings/Bolivar Intersection Realignment". Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Government of South Australia. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ↑ "Northern Connector contract shortlisted to two tenderers". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 2 May 2016 – via AEOL.
[Minister Stephen Mullighan said] "The contract will be awarded ahead of the start of major works in May 2016 and the project is scheduled for completion in December 2019."
- ↑ Paul Fletcher MP, Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects (6 January 2016). "Closing the gap with North-South Corridor jobs" (Press release). Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ↑ Novak, Lauren (31 May 2016). "Lendlease Engineering chosen to build and construct Northern Connector, work to start next month". The Advertiser. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
- ↑ Starick, Paul (16 November 2016). "$985 million Northern Connector to be South Australia's first major concrete road, creating more jobs". The Advertiser. News Corp (published 17 November 2016). Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ↑ Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. "The Northern Connector proposed road and rail route". Government of South Australia. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2015. Additional archives: 26 February 2015.
