The $985 Million Northern Connector motorway will be South Australia’s first major concrete road, creating more jobs and saving on maintenance. 13 km (8 mi) of the 15.5 km (9.6 mi) will be concrete. In a joint announcement, Federal Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher and his state counterpart, Steve Mulligan, revealed the concrete construction of the Northern Connector is expected to annually support 480 jobs (40 extra jobs) and inject $11 Million into local industry.
Mr. Fletcher said, “The initial cost is marginally higher than asphalt, but the benefits of increased local participation and the long-term performance/life-cycle costs savings are well worth it. The road construction will begin mid 2017, and will be completed by the year 2020—with the savings over the lifetime of the concrete pavement is estimated to be $23.1 Million over 30 years.” (Concrete pavement being half of the cost of the ongoing maintenance costs of the competitive pavement).
Local suppliers will provide 175,000 cubic meters (190,000 cubic yd) of concrete. The project will have a “low-noise diamond grooving finish” that is durable, safe, has lower ride noise, and improved ride quality.
The engineering company said concrete will maximize economic benefits to South Australia while reducing ongoing maintenance costs. The key contractor also predicted this would be the first of many concrete roads in South Australia, as the economic, environmental and social aspects are realized.
To view a PDF of the article, please go to: 985-million-northern-connector-to-be-20161116.
For the link to the article on the online news, “The Article”, please go to: $985 Million Northern Connector to be South Australia’s First Major Concrete Road, Creating More Jobs.
Reported on “The Article” online news.