The Department of Infrastructure & Transport (DIT) has provided the public some insight into the T2D. They have raised, however, more questions than providing answers to those we already have. This means we continue to know what we don’t know.
Last Saturday, I attended one of the four public briefings conducted by the DIT. These sessions were rescheduled after the recent Covid-19 lockdown disturbed all activity in South Australia.
What I learned is there is much work to be done by DIT before they can provide answers to the many questions we all have. I too have many questions. The best advice I can give anyone, including myself, is to have some patience. Give them (DIT) a chance to do the detailed investigations they need to do, to have the level of detail necessary to provide the answers.
This may take them until the end of 2021.
Until they conduct survey work, and geological soil testing, etc. Until they understand our concerns they can’t provide the “final” package. Part of the exercise of conducting the recent forums is to get a better picture of what our concerns are. Our fears.
Please be patient.
I learned also on Saturday, amongst other things, is they are very unsure themselves. Unsure as to what may be possible. Unsure too as to whether they can avoid certain works they would prefer not to do.
Work like moving the Telephone Exchange in Glandore. Whether they can avoid demolishing the Emerson overpass. Whether they can retain the Gallipoli underpass as it is, or not. Likewise whether the recently constructed, and more recently repaired, tram overpass can be retained.
.
They cannot pinpoint where the tunnel will start and finish. They can approximate that it will start somewhere between the Gallipoli underpass and the Emerson overpass. It is likely to be around the tram overpass but there are many engineering issues to address before that becomes a reality.
This means we must wait to gain any knowledge as to what, if any, compulsory property acquisitions may be required in Black Forest or Everard Park. It means we cannot know what access/egress issues may occur with us being able to access our homes from South Road.
We can be reasonably assured, that said, that our section of South Road will be a transitional area from grade (or at least the reduced level of Gallipoli) to the tunnel.
We know they plan for the tunnel to be some 20m under grade. The gradient needs to cater for heavy trucks to move freely enough not to disturb the progress of cars.
We don’t know if the tunnel will be under South Road or adjacent. From an engineering perspective, they would prefer it to be directly under South Road. We don’t know (they don’t know) where we will be able to access the tunnel. Where the in ramps and out ramps will be.
Something else I can confirm is that the tunneling excavation will occur at the southern end, at Darlington. All of it. The full length of it. There will be no excavating for the tunnel adjacent to Black Forest of Everard Park. Disruption will still occur here however in respect of creating access/egress from the tunnel to gain access to Anzac Highway. Anzac Highway, of course, is a key road for access to the CBD.
So, as I said in my last T2D post and we continue to know what we don’t know, watch this space. We are all on a journey here. You and me both. And trust this, we are contributing to the final design.
Thank you for keeping us informed although if you don’t know you can only tell us what you do!
Keep up the good work.
Cheers Ann Davidson
Thanks Ann. It’s not easy but I will keep on it, as will all of us.
Thanks Don, I agree that this is a complicated engineering project with many challenges and clearly DIT will need time to prepare the design. What i would expect DIT to provide to the community is a timeline of what is to be expected when. This timeline can be updated continually and it would give the Public a reference document for expectations.
I have a concern with regard to the future of the Black Forest Primary School and Forest Ave Reserve.
Thanks Rob.
And Black Forest Primary School are planning redevelopment on the northern edge of the reserve as we speak.
While a final design will not be ready for some 12 months this is not an effective way to create inclusion/buy-in, gather feedback or have communication with trust. The estimates would have been based off of an initial design concept, based on assumptions. These assumptions are then validated/rejected during surveys etc with tradeoff analysis leading to the design updated. This is an iterative process but the government has chosen to stay silent until the end. This erodes trust and confidence and results in suboptimal solutions, or even worse solutions that are just perceived as sub-optimal. If you truely want to engage the community and build rapport and trust then release the iterations of the design and take people “on the journey”. The current mechanism of no news until the end is antiquated and ineffective.
A sentiment shared by many. We all share the frustration of not knowing.
On the other hand, the Department believes they are sharing and taking us along the journey. The only trouble with that is in not having something “concrete” to put in front of us the potential is we fear the worse.
Similar frustration was experienced when the previous Government, but the same Department, electrified the (now) Seaford line and created the grade separation at Goodwood. I am hoping that this time the dialogue will improve out of sight.
Certainly, a number of their officers recognized me when I walked through the door at the West Adelaide Footy Club on Saturday. They know only too well from that previous experience how passionate we all are and how Jennie & I will bat for us too.
Interesting! i noted that in the recent report circulated by Council relating to reserves, parks ,open space and other Council owned land, did not refer to the Forest Ave Reserve (which i understand is jointly managed by Council and the Education Dept).
Can you advise what is intended for the northern edge of the reserve? This is the only
large open space west of East Ave in the City of Unley and any reduction would be a concern
First up. Council’s only involvement in Forest Reserve is, in exchange for community access when not in use by the school, is to mow the lawns. We have no other involvement.
My understanding is the School has or is looking at the possibility of creating a drop off zone there. A project that surely cannot be entertained until the South Road question is answered.