Works on the largest road project ever undertaken in South Australia have now reached the halfway mark with the $812 million South Road Superway transforming the skyline over the industrial heart of Adelaide.
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and South Australian Transport Minister Patrick Conlon visited the site today to witness two major construction milestones, the likes of which have never been seen before in the state.
Crews have begun constructing the Superway's 83 metre span across Grand Junction Road, with each massive segment being lifted approximately 16 metres off the ground.  At the same time a 140 metre launching truss—a self-propelling machine purpose built for the construction of long bridges—has been commissioned on site.
“You can't help but be impressed by the sheer scale of the project, one that will make it much easier to get around Adelaide and along the City's emerging north-south corridor,” said Mr Albanese.
“But having the courage to dream big and build the infrastructure necessary for unlocking our nation's full potential is what Labor governments do and the new Superway is the State's largest ever Federally-funded road project. All up, Federal Labor has more than doubled annual infrastructure spending from $109 to $272 per South Australian.”
To date, 25 per cent of the 2.8 kilometre elevated road has been lifted into place and around 40 per cent of the piers that support the roadway have been installed.
Mr Conlon said the historic project was already delivering a range of social and economic benefits to the state.
“The Superway will support around 2,750 jobs along with a range of local businesses, while 75 per cent of project's current workforce is South Australian,” he said.
“Not only will this project expand the capacity of South Road to satisfy predicted traffic use but it also delivers a suite of network improvements to a key industrial precinct for the city.”
Major construction will began in April 2011, with the project still on track to be completed on time and on budget for a December 2013 opening.
The Superway will deliver a 4.8 kilometre non-stop corridor with a 2.8 kilometre elevated roadway between the Port River Expressway to Regency Road. It forms a key part of the State Government's vision for a 78 kilometre north-south corridor stretching from Gawler to Old Noarlunga. For further information visit: www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au.