A key stretch of South Road will get a major makeover in coming months, with $22 million of vital resurfacing works set to kick off as part of the River Torrens to Darlington Project.
The initial works will be carried out in both directions on a 3km section between Glengarry Avenue, Glandore, and Bennet Avenue, Melrose Park - delivering a vastly smoother and safer ride for motorists above where the Southern Tunnels will be.
From later this year further works will be undertaken from Daws Road to Lloyd Street, St Marys, as well as on the northern section of the roadway from Ashley Street, Torrensville to Sir Donald Bradman Drive.
To minimise disruption to motorists and nearby residents and businesses, works will be undertaken in stages and at night starting next month, to be completed by the end of June, weather permitting.
Speed and lane restrictions will be in place while works are undertaken, and motorists are advised to take extra care when travelling through work sites and follow the instructions of traffic controllers and signage.
All lanes of South Road are planned to be open while works are not being undertaken.
The works involve removing the existing pavement and replacing it with asphalt, which will ensure the long-term safety and integrity of these sections of South Road.
Much of the current surface of the busy section of South Road is in poor condition, and it is being relaid well ahead of the start of major T2D Project works so that this crucial element of Adelaide’s road network functions effectively both during and after construction of the motorway.
The resurfacing work is one of a package of 13 infrastructure upgrades, together valued at $850 million, designed to support and complement the revitalised T2D Project design released by the State Government in December 2022.
Other projects in the package include:
• building a new road directly linking Selgar Avenue, Clovelly Park, to MAB Circuit in the booming Tonsley innovation precinct;
• widening Richmond Road between South Road and Railway Terrace; and
• introducing two right-turn lanes from James Congdon Drive citybound onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive.
The full list of 13 additional network and amenity upgrades is on the T2D Project website: www.dit.sa.gov.au/T2D
Quotes attributable to Member for Badcoe Jayne Stinson MP:
“Drivers will be relieved to know South Road won’t be left to wrack and ruin, but properly maintained under our government.
Locals are looking forward to the upgrade of our most important road, but we need a quality road surface in the meantime.
It’s great that preparatory works ahead of the South Road upgrade are being carefully staged and South Road will remain open throughout this surface upgrade.”
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Tom Koutsantonis:
“The River Torrens to Darlington Project – once it is completed in 2031 – is going to greatly improve the speed, ease and efficiency with which motorists travel throughout Adelaide.
For it to operate at the optimum level, however, other elements of the wider road network will need to be improved and maintained at a high standard.
To this end, the State Government is carrying out 13 complementary infrastructure and amenity upgrades that ensure both the North South Corridor and the broader network function effectively – both during construction and on completion.
Between now and the middle of the year, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport will resurface one of the busiest sections of South Road – the stretch between Glandore and Melrose Park that is currently in pretty ordinary shape.
This means a smoother and safer journey for the thousands of vehicles that use this busy stretch of South Road every day.
Through early engineering works and complementary upgrades, we are preparing the ground right now for the completion of the North-South Corridor in the years ahead.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Elder Nadia Clancy MP:
“The state of South Road is something that is repeatedly raised with me by my community.
I’m proud the State Labor Government is getting on with this important job, which will provide benefits before, during and after the major works on the North South Corridor project.”