SA $9.9bn Torrens to Darlington Project reaches new major milestone

South Australia’s congestion-busting Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project is closer to beginning construction after the Reference Design for the $9.9 billion project was released for community consultation. 

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

“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,” Premier Steven Marshall said. 

For the first time, the design for the entire development as well as how motorists will be travelling between the River Torrens and Anzac Highway was shown. The design includes: 

• More than two kilometres of twin three-lane tunnels 
• The avoidance of impact on heritage sites in Adelaide’s inner-west 
• The extent of the Northern Tunnels, with entry and exit points at Hilton and Torrensville 
• East-west connectivity maintained and enhanced at James Congdon Drive, Richmond Road, and Everard and Barwell avenues 

The T2D Project – as covered in the Reference Design – will deliver a 10.5-kilometre non-stop motorway between the River Torrens and Darlington, and is the final missing link on the North-South Corridor. The development will use a combination of tunnels, lowered and ground-level motorways along with overpasses and underpasses at key intersections. 

“The T2D is the final piece of the North-South Corridor, which is one of the most significant projects in the state’s history and will ease congestion, allow freight to move around Adelaide more efficiently, and help commuters get home to their families sooner and safer. 

“The project will also inject more than $4.8 billion into the South Australian economy and support more than 4,900 jobs during peak construction, providing a clear pipeline of works for South Australian industry,” Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher MP said. 

Once up and running T2D will enable motorists to bypass 21 sets of traffic lights as well as remove tens of thousands of vehicles from South Road each day. 

The T2D Project is expected to take 10 years to complete and is going to be built in two stages, namely: 

• Stage 1 Southern Tunnel – It will join the recently completed Darlington Upgrade Project, connecting Darlington to Anzac Highway, and will open to traffic in 2029 
• Stage 2 will link the River Torrens to Anzac Highway, surface roads and the Northern Tunnel and will open to traffic in 2030 

“Anyone who’s travelled along this section of South Road knows it’s desperately needed upgrading for years and we’re getting on with the job of doing just that. 

“Travel time variability on South Road is up to six times higher than the Adelaide average and five times worse than Sydney and Melbourne averages during peak. 

“Once completed, the T2D Project will solve that by allowing motorists to travel safely and non-stop between the completed Darlington and Torrens Road to River Torrens project,” Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Corey Wingard said.  

North-South Corridor alignment (source: T2D Torrens to Darlington)

Construction on the project will be undertaken progressively from south to north. It will begin in 2023 with the Southern Tunnel then will move on to the Tunnel Connector, Northern Tunnel and Torrens Connector sections. 

The Southern and Northern tunnels are going to be built using tunnel boring machines that will continuously dig about 8-10 metres a day. 

The Reference Design will be showcased at over 20 displays and information kiosks located at shopping centres, council libraries as well as community centres across the metropolitan areas starting 29th November until 12th December as part of the next round of community engagement. 

“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. 

“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,” Minister Wingard said. 

The $5.422 billion funding for Stage 1 of the Torrens to Darlington Project is jointly committed by the Australian and South Australian Governments. 

T2D will complete the North-South Corridor, providing a 78-kilometre non-stop traffic-light-free motorway that runs between Gawler and Old Noarlunga. 

Source: Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts; T2D Torrens to Darlington (1, 2, 3)