SA Footy

Recently with a friend I sat down and discussed adelaides major roads.

Things like volume of traffic, importance to the structure of the city were taken into account.

My top ten:

South Road

Main North Road

North Terrace (continuing onto Payneham road)

King William Street

West Terrace

Anzac Highway

Port Road

NorthEast Road (continuing onto Hackney Road)

South Eastern Freeway (continuing onto Glen Osmond Road)

Goodwood Road

Lets hear yours.

From a southerners point of view I'd probably throw in Marion, Brighton and the Southern Expressway into the mix, maybe even Unley Rd.
Only morons use South Rd to get to town in peakhour.

Wedgie wrote:From a southerners point of view I'd probably throw in Marion, Brighton and the Southern Expressway into the mix, maybe even Unley Rd.
Only morons use South Rd to get to town in peakhour.

expressway is part of south road in my list.

Marion and Brighton I wouldnt put in the top 10 but are critical in the south western suburbs.

I hope you mean top ten worst roads. Expressway is shite- one way road how Sth Aust is that?
South Rd an absolute joke, trainline going through a main road!! not to forget the loads of traffic lights to contend with. Brighton road for same reasons + a trainline!! And Diagonal Rd is also in my most hated major road with its conjested train crossing.

The best things this state has done in terms of road infestructer is the heysen tunnels and the port expressway which can take a fair bit off travel time. Hopefully the South Rd tunnels will do the same so keep traffic flowing down South Rd and Anzac Hwy. I am just glad my total driving per day to work is about 5km cause I HATE peak hour traffic!!

TroyGFC wrote:South Rd an absolute joke, trainline going through a main road!!

only for those who don't take the overpass

well to all that critize the north ... when u travel out that way enjoy the 3 lanes of main north road or port wakefield road

nice smooth travelling

dinglinga wrote:well to all that critize the north ... when u travel out that way enjoy the 3 lanes of main north road or port wakefield road

nice smooth travelling

I hate Main North Rd (Pt Wakefield is OK).
Should be like the Expressway where there is no lights between Darlington and Old Noarlunga.
Mind you, a pain in the arse when its going the wrong way.

Pseudo wrote:

TroyGFC wrote:South Rd an absolute joke, trainline going through a main road!!

only for those who don't take the overpass

...or travel North of Port Rd....or North of Grand Junction Rd

Wedgie wrote:

dinglinga wrote:well to all that critize the north ... when u travel out that way enjoy the 3 lanes of main north road or port wakefield road

nice smooth travelling

I hate Main North Rd (Pt Wakefield is OK).
Should be like the Expressway where there is no lights between Darlington and Old Noarlunga.
Mind you, a pain in the arse when its going the wrong way.

Eventually when the Northern Expressway opens, there will be a lot more traffic on Port Wakefield Road, especially trucks.

spell_check wrote:
Eventually when the Northern Expressway opens, there will be a lot more traffic on Port Wakefield Road, especially trucks.

Why?
The trucks have been coming down Port Wakefield Rd, South Rd Extension, Grand Junction Rd for years, since the first part of the expressway opened it has got a lot of them off of the top end of South Rd and Grand Junction Rd. Grand Junction Rd is already alot better with a lot less Road Trains on it.
I can't see how it will increase trucks on Pt Wakefield Rd, they already come down there now to get to the Port, Wingfield and Regency Park, and those heading further South.

Wedgie wrote:
I hate Main North Rd (Pt Wakefield is OK).

Nth of Gepps Cross it would have to be the easiest Rd in Adelaide to make into an Expressway/Freeway, should have been done years ago.

what about the $80m the government is going to spend on the anzac highway/south road underpass...WTF?

can't wait to drive down south road, straight through the intersection only to stop at the tram line 400m south of the intersection and wait for a tram to cross...

I'm confused as to what the list is the top 10 of Dasher.
Is it a top ten list of your favourite roads?

Ten most important? Volume?

Dissident wrote:I'm confused as to what the list is the top 10 of Dasher.
Is it a top ten list of your favourite roads?

Ten most important? Volume?

most important.

Portrush Road - even though I hate it because of all the schools and camera's, but looking at it from a logistics point of view, its the main thoroghfare for semi's heading to vic/nsw.. much to residents disgrace...

Being a WA boy I will say there's a lot to like about Adelaide as a city but your road infrastructure is much inferior to that of Perth. Our metro north-south freeways (no traffic lights)and east-west highways are really exceptional. You can sit on 100km/h for half an hour on end at non-peak hour times on the Mitchell and Kwinana Freeways.

The stop-start nature of Adelaide driving is infuriating with all the traffic lights on main arterial roads- especially during peak hour traffic.

Still the Perth landscape allows more space for roads to be built whereas Adelaide is restricted for width by the hills region.

Still I can't believe that the southern expressway in Adelaide only allows traffic in one direction at specified times of the day. Surely it would not have cost much more to add an extra lane or two make it a permanent dual carriageway?

Adelaide is very well planned, for Adelaide circa 1985 - 1990

Since then we've suffered because of the existing structures in place. As mentioned above, the "long and skinny" nature of the metropolitan area means we are restricted in how we can move, and change.

But, I have talked to various people over the course of the years who have come over (by car) from interstate. The general consensus is that Adelaide is extremely well set out and logical, only taking about three days to "learn".

And it's true. A city centre bordered by North South East and West terraces (or as good as). Four main diagonal roads from each corner; Port Road, Anzac Highway, Glen Osmond road and North East Road (or some would argue, Main North Road).

Then there are roads parallel to the City Terraces, like Port Rush Road, Glynburn Road, Grand junction Road, South Road, Daws Road, Cross Road et al.

There are flaws, obviously. But city growth is hard to predict and often governments will work with what's there now, and maybe 5 years down the track. Replanning Adelaide would be GREAT - starting from scratch. BUT... we can't. And would we want to? I wouldn't I don't think. the city of Adelaide (including metro area) has great character. Areas and suburbs have reputations, and stigmas; some bad, some good. There's areas you avoid by car if you don't want to be late - and areas that no matter how many people drive on - are not bad at all.

It's easy to look at Adelaide from where you live, or grew up. I grew up (and still live) in the North East, give or take around Tea Tree Plaza. So my view of the city is in regards to where I need to go - and how I get there. But over the years I've driven a LOT around the place and you learn a great deal about roads, areas, lights, shortcuts et al.

At one point in my life, I was "filling in" for a basketball team that played at Daws Road High (which I think changed it's name?). Rather than drive up North East road and through the city which as the crow flies as the most direct, I would drive through the east, down Sudoltz/Newton/Penfolds Road, through Wattle Park around Hallett Road, Greenhill... down Fullarton, Blythewood and Springbank.

Avoiding the city isn't only often quicker - but a nice drive. I like driving through different suburbs, looking around, checking out houses, getting ideas for landscaping. Then again, I'm weird.

I'm also South Australian, and a biased one at that. Maybe I just think this way because I love Adelaide.

westozfalcon wrote:
Still I can't believe that the southern expressway in Adelaide only allows traffic in one direction at specified times of the day. Surely it would not have cost much more to add an extra lane or two make it a permanent dual carriageway?

It probably would have been a dual road if a certian labor govt didnt balls up massively to put this state into debt.


Adelaides roads are terrible IMO. Just got back from a few days in Hobart and their whole road and transport systems are ahead of ours by a country mile. all city streets are four lane one way streets. for example if this was the case in Adelaide Grenfell and Currie streets would run to east terrace, Waymouth and Pirie to West tce. confusing at first but effective once you are used to it

westozfalcon wrote:Being a WA boy I will say there's a lot to like about Adelaide as a city but your road infrastructure is much inferior to that of Perth. Our metro north-south freeways (no traffic lights)and east-west highways are really exceptional. You can sit on 100km/h for half an hour on end at non-peak hour times on the Mitchell and Kwinana Freeways.

The stop-start nature of Adelaide driving is infuriating with all the traffic lights on main arterial roads- especially during peak hour traffic.

Still the Perth landscape allows more space for roads to be built whereas Adelaide is restricted for width by the hills region.

Still I can't believe that the southern expressway in Adelaide only allows traffic in one direction at specified times of the day. Surely it would not have cost much more to add an extra lane or two make it a permanent dual carriageway?

Know what you mean mate, having lived in Perth myself for 3 years and I certainly wouldn't argue with any of your points

ORDoubleBlues wrote:

westozfalcon wrote:Being a WA boy I will say there's a lot to like about Adelaide as a city but your road infrastructure is much inferior to that of Perth. Our metro north-south freeways (no traffic lights)and east-west highways are really exceptional. You can sit on 100km/h for half an hour on end at non-peak hour times on the Mitchell and Kwinana Freeways.

The stop-start nature of Adelaide driving is infuriating with all the traffic lights on main arterial roads- especially during peak hour traffic.

Still the Perth landscape allows more space for roads to be built whereas Adelaide is restricted for width by the hills region.

Still I can't believe that the southern expressway in Adelaide only allows traffic in one direction at specified times of the day. Surely it would not have cost much more to add an extra lane or two make it a permanent dual carriageway?

Know what you mean mate, having lived in Perth myself for 3 years and I certainly wouldn't argue with any of your points

WA is the epitome of urban sprawl. The pace of development where the land is consumed outstrips the rate of population growth - WA needs those roads because people become more dependent on cars. Urban sprawl includes the expansion of motorways to cater for this. I fear we're heading in the same direction.