Adelaide is the country's only mainland capital city without a non-stop motorway in its metropolitan area. The existing transport network is struggling to meet demand. There are more than 120,000 vehicles using South, Marion and Goodwood Roads each day.

When compared with the rest of the network, the crash rate along the T2D section of South Road is

  • 11 times higher than the Northern Expressway
  • seven times higher than the Southern Expressway.

Infrastructure Australia expects daily car trips across Adelaide to increase by 26% by 2031. That's up to 6.2 million car trips each day. If we don't address this, this congestion will cost the South Australian economy more than $230 million each year in lost productivity.

The North-South Corridor is one of Adelaide’s most important transport corridors. The T2D Project will provide road users with improved access to key travel gateways, including to:

  • Adelaide Airport
  • the state’s maritime gateway at Port Adelaide
  • the wider national highway network.

Objectives

  • Be a primary contributor to the economic development of Adelaide and the state by improving productivity and accessibility for small and large freight vehicle movements—supporting local and regional business.
  • Improve the efficiency and reliability of all modes of travel for people moving north-south and east-west.
  • Improve connectivity to the northern and southern suburbs to facilitate jobs growth in those regions.
  • Create connected communities that lead to improved land use opportunities.
  • Increase the capacity and connectivity of the North-South Corridor to the surrounding transport network to better support community needs and help improve public transport services through more efficient journeys.
  • Improve road safety (reducing the potential for road crashes.

Benefits

The T2D Project will deliver a wide range of social, economic, environmental and safety benefits, not only for Adelaide, but for all of South Australia.

  • Allow motorists to bypass 21 sets of traffic lights between the River Torrens and Darlington, improving travel times by 30 to 40 minutes during peak hour traffic.
  • Support 5,500 jobs per year during main construction, creating a skills legacy for South Australia.
  • Improve safety and travel times between the River Torrens and Darlington, by reducing the amount of stop-start traffic on South Road, resulting in about 200 fewer crashes per year on this section of the road network.
  • Unlock the full potential of the North-South Corridor, completing a 78km non-stop journey between Gawler and Old Noarlunga.
  • Provide urban renewal opportunities for local businesses and residents through new and upgraded walking and cycling paths, green spaces and recreational areas.
  • Reduce traffic congestion by taking around 130,000 weekday trips into tunnels and reduce congestion on surrounding major roads, including Marion Road and Goodwood Road.
  • Preserve important cultural and heritage sites, including Thebarton Theatre and the Queen of Angels Church.
  • Provide better access to travel gateways, including Adelaide Airport, Port Adelaide and the national highway network.

*Images displayed on this page are artist's impressions.