In South Australia, significant progress has been made on two crucial transport infrastructure projects south of Adelaide, bringing them closer to fruition as part of the Australian and South Australian governments’ commitments.
The first key advancement is at the Majors Road Interchange project, where 18 girders manufactured in South Australia have been successfully installed. This work marks a pivotal stage in the $120 million project aimed at widening the Majors Road bridge. Using a 300-tonne crane, these girders, each weighing between 8 to 14 tonnes and measuring between 23 to 31 metres in length, were put in place over a series of four night shifts. The widening will expand the bridge from two to six lanes. It includes two through lanes and a dedicated right turn lane for each direction onto the Southern Expressway.
The project also encompasses the construction of new on and off-ramps for the Southern Expressway at Majors Road. Currently, Majors Road serves as a key arterial route in the southern suburbs, handling about 13,200 vehicles daily. This figure is expected to increase to approximately 14,700 during peak periods by 2036. The expressway itself is a vital component of the area’s infrastructure, supporting not only local economic activities but also facilitating tourist travel to the Fleurieu Peninsula.
The girders used in this project were produced by Bowhill Engineering, a local company that employed 100% regional South Australian labour, including 13 apprentices. These were transported nearly 150 kilometres from Bowhill to the Majors Road site. The interchange project, funded equally by the Australian and South Australian governments at $60 million each, is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and is supporting around 245 full-time-equivalent jobs annually throughout its construction period.
Meanwhile, significant strides have also been made on the new interchange and realigned intersection of Aldinga Beach Road and Aldinga Road. This development is part of stage two of the Main South Road duplication from Aldinga to Sellicks Beach. The current phase includes the construction of piling works, which are essential for establishing a strong foundation for the underpass and bridge structure. The underpass, supported by 53 piles, will ultimately be bolstered by twelve 40-tonne girders and include 62 architectural panels along with 86 metres of anti-throw screens on a bridge deck measuring 26 metres in length and 27 metres wide.
This stage of the project involves extensive use of over 39,200 tonnes of asphalt, shaping approximately 86,000 square metres of road pavement, with more than 15.5 linear kilometres of soil nails supporting the underpass walls.
Stage Two of the Main South Road duplication between Aldinga Beach Road and Sellicks Beach is being delivered as part of the $810.4 million Fleurieu Connections project, with the Australian Government contributing $221.6 million and South Australian Government contributing $588.8 million.
As well as the Aldinga Beach Road interchange, the duplication includes intersection upgrades at Hart and Colville roads, Norman and Rogers roads, Hahn and Cox roads, and Sellicks Beach Road plus installation of wide centre medians and wire rope barriers to improve safety by separating northbound and southbound traffic.
It also includes three U-turns to facilitate local access and a shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists along the western side of Main South Road, from Aldinga to Sellicks Beach.
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