Expect Swanport Bridge update later this year, DIT says
A long-overdue study into the possible duplication of the freeway bridge may soon be released.
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A long-delayed announcement about the possible duplication of the Swanport Bridge is on its way.
Four years have passed since a $2.5 million study was announced into the pros and cons of building a second freeway bridge across the River Murray.
The state government is yet to release the business case for that and other parts of its High Productivity Vehicle Network project, to the frustration of opposition MPs.
A spokesman told Murray Bridge News last week that the Department for Infrastructure and Transport was still completing the document.
“More detailed planning is underway to progress key elements of the HPVN, including the Greater Adelaide freight bypass and the Swanport Bridge, and an update will be provided later this year,” he said.
The 46-year-old bridge, just two lanes wide, has long been one of the more notable bottlenecks on the main highway between Adelaide and Melbourne.
The need for an upgrade became evident in the aftermath of two fatal crashes in the late 2010s, and on other occasions when the bridge has needed to close and freeway traffic has needed to be diverted down Murray Bridge's main street.
Federal MP Tony Pasin, who is also the opposition spokesman for roads and road safety, said the ongoing delays to the freight project were holding back South Australia’s productivity and efficiency.
“Delaying the strategic business case on (the HPVN project) and its individual components is putting a handbrake on our state’s productivity and road safety improvements,” he said.
“The project is important for the Barker community.
“If we want to grow the economy, improve production and safety on our freight routes, this needs to be addressed.”
The HPVN project is the evolution of four strategic freight studies that were undertaken in 2022:
- A Greater Adelaide freight bypass, replacing the previous government's abandoned Globelink project
- Murray Bridge to South East links
- The Swanport Bridge
- An Eyre Highway widening and upgrade planning study
What impact the coming federal election will have on the project remains to be seen.
- More information: www.dit.sa.gov.au.
