Expressway - The Australian Highway Site: Road Photos & Information: SA: M2 / A2

Road Photos & Information: South Australia

Northern Expressway, Northern Connector, North-South Motorway, South Road and Southern Expressway (M2 / A2)

Statistics:

Length:: 77 km
Termini:: Northern: Gawler Bypass (A20), Ward Belt; Southern: Main South Road (A13), Huntfield Heights
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:: Ward Belt, Buchfelde, Gawler River, Munno Para Downs, Angle Vale, Waterloo Corner, Bolivar, Wingfield, Regency Park, Dudley Park, Croydon Park, Ridleyton, Hindmarsh, West Hindmarsh, Thebarton, Torrensville, Mile End, Hilton, Mile End South, Ashford, Kurralta Park, Everard Park, Glandore, Black Forest, Clarence Gardens, Melrose Park, Clovelly Park, St Marys, Bedford Park, Sturt, Darlington, O'Halloran Hill, Trott Park, Sheidow Park, Reynella, Lonsdale, Christie Downs, Noarlunga Centre, Noarlunga Downs, Hackham West, Hackham and Huntfield Heights

Route Numbering:

Current: M2 A2
Former: A13 M2 M20
Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹: 05300 (Ward Belt to Waterloo Corner); 06203 (Wingfield to Bedford Park); 06780 (Bedford Park to Hackham)

General Information:

The M2 / A2 route is a major traffic route linking Adelaide's northern and southern suburbs, east of the CBD. Made up of arterial road standard and motorway standard roads, the route services rural, residential, commercial and industrial areas, and is one of the city's busier routes.

Northern Expressway (M2):

Northern Expressway is a 4-lane motorway standard route linking Port Wakefield Rd (A1) with Gawler Bypass (A20). The interchanges and bridges along the expressway were all named after famous battles in which Australian forces were involved in, such as Long Tan, Kokoda, Tobruk, Kapyong and Hamel. In November 2013, one year after the death of South Australian author and journalist Max Fatchen, the Northern Expressway was dual named "Fatchen Northern Expressway" in his honour. ² ³

Northern Connector (M2):

Developed as part of a continuous freeway grade road between Old Noarlunga and Nuriootpa known as the North-South Corridor, the Northern Connector links the North-South Motorway at Wingfield with the Northern Expressway at Waterloo Corner. Featuring 3-lanes in each direction, the design incorporates a reservation for a ARTC railway line routing down the middle between Dry Creek, South Australia and Taylors Road at Waterloo Corner. ⁴

North-South Motorway (M2):

Located in Adelaide's northern suburbs, the North-South Motorway services industrial, commercial and residential areas, part of which is an elevated dual carriageway that towers above a section South Road for 2.8 kilometres in a bid to separate local and through traffic, and was originally known as the South Road Superway. Ultimately it will be a part of a larger scale motorway standard route linking the far north and far south of Adelaide's metropolitan area.

The South Road Superway is supported by a total of 68 piers, made from concrete and the carriageway is made from 2203 segments cast in the purpose-built casting yard. ⁵

South Road (A2):

South Road and Main South Road have been major arterial routes in Adelaide for decades, and service industrial, residential and commercial suburbs to the west of the Adelaide CBD. The route is divided along its length and features both at-grade and grade-separated junctions and is one of the city's busiest routes.

Southern Expressway (M2):

The Southern Expressway was Australia's only one way motorway. At certain times of the day, it changed direction, depending on the peak flows of traffic. However upgrades have made it a standard dual carriageway motorway, with traffic travelling in both directions simultaneously.

At the location of the route, provision had been made for the development of a north-south transportation corridor serving the southern region since the late 1960s. In 1984 the then State Government announced the Third Arterial Project, the development of which was subsequently split into two phases: the upgrading of Main South Road and Marion Road in the Darlington area and the construction of a new road from Bedford Park / Darlington to Reynella. The Southern Expressway Project, announced in March 1995, forms the second phase of this project. ⁶

History:

: 1983: Work commences on Emerson Crossing, at the intersection of South Road, Cross Road and the Seaford railway line. ⁷; 14 March 1985: Emerson Crossing opened to traffic jointly by John Bannon (the then Premier of South Australia) and Peter Morris (the then Federal Minister of Transport). ⁸; 1994: Widening of Main South Road to eight lanes between Ayliffes Road and Seacombe Road.; March 21 1995: The SA government announced that it would begin the construction in December of the Southern Expressway, from Darlington to Old Noarlunga. ⁹; December 1997: Stage 1 of the Southern Expressway opened. ¹⁰; 1998: A13 route number given to South Road and Main South Road when Transport SA was rolling out route numbers with the introduction of the alphanumeric numbering system.; September 2002: Built Environs, in a joint venture with LR & M, completed the $48 000 000 second stage of the Southern Expressway between Noarlunga and Reynella. As well as laying down roadway, the project involved the construction of major earthworks, four bridges, five culverts, landscaping, lighting and noise mounds, and required 15 000 square metres of retaining walls and 1 200 000 cubic metres of cut-to-fill, including 200 000 cubic metres of blasted rock. ¹¹; May 2004: Upgrade an arrestor bed, located approximately 500 metres from the South Road and Marion Road intersections. ¹²; June 2004: New lighting installed beneath road bridges along Stage 2 of the Southern Expressway, between Panalatinga Road at Reynella to Main South Road, Old Noarlunga. ¹³; July 2007: Work begins on the Gallipoli Overpass at the South Rd / Anzac Hwy junction. ¹⁴; 2008: Work begins on Northern Expressway. ¹⁵; May 2008: Installation of a variable message sign and variable speed limit signs between Majors Road and Marion Road. ¹⁶; March 2009: Gallipoli Underpass opened to traffic. ¹⁷; August 2010: Work begins on South Road Superway. ¹⁸; 13 September 2010 : Northern Expressway opened to traffic. ¹⁵; 2011: Duplication of Southern Expressway commenced.; 2014: Completion of South Road Superway.; 13 March 2014: Northbound lanes of South Road Superway opened to traffic. ¹⁹; 3 August 2014: Duplication of Southern Expressway opened to traffic. ²⁰; January 2016: Construction of Northern Connector commenced.; 2018: Permanent throw screens, upgraded CCTV and mesh installed over loose rocks on Southern Expressway. ²¹; 2019: Construction of Darlington Interchange. Expected completion of Northern Connector.

North-South Mwy (M2) at the Port River Expwy (A9) interchange, Wingfield, January 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Ward Belt to Huntfield Heights

NEW Advance Directional Signs:

Supplemental advance directional sign and advance directional sign at Regency Park, approaching Regency Rd, January 2025.

Image © Terry Siva

Variable Message Sign:

Variable message sign on North-South Mwy (M2) at Wingfield, January 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on North-South Mwy (M2) approaching Grand Junction Rd at Wingfield, July 2014.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on North-South Mwy (M2) approaching Grand Junction Rd at Wingfield, January 2016. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Michael Greenslade from July 2014.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Changeable Advance Directional Sign:

Changeable AD sign on Ayliffes Rd, Bedford Park, approaching the interchange with Southern Expwy (M2), South Rd (A2), Main South Rd and Shepherds Hill Rd, June 2023.

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Sturt, January 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at O'Halloran Hill, approaching Main South Rd (A13) and Panalatinga Rd, January 2016.

Main South Road and Panalatinga Road Interchange:

Southern Expwy (M2) at O'Halloran Hill, at the Main South Rd (A13) and Panalatinga Rd interchange, January 2016.

Main South Road and Panalatinga Road Interchange:

Southern Expwy (M2) at O'Halloran Hill, at the Main South Rd (A13) and Panalatinga Rd interchange, January 2016.

Young Street:

Southern Expwy (M2) passing under Young St at Reynella, January 2016.

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign near Moore Rd at Reynella, approaching Sherriffs Rd, January 2016.

Moore Road:

Southern Expwy (M2) passing under Moore Rd at Reynella, January 2016.

O'Sullivans Beach Road:

Southern Expwy (M2) passing under O'Sullivans Beach Rd at Morphettvale, January 2016.

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Hackham West, January 2016.

Honeypot Road:

Southern Expwy (M2) passing under Honeypot Rd at Hackham West, January 2016.

M2 Southern Terminus:

Southern Expwy (M2) at Huntfield Heights, approaching Main South Rd (A13), January 2016.

¹ SA Government, Location SA Map Viewer.
² The Bunyip, 'Fatchen' a tourist name, 28 May 2014.
³ ABC News, More than memory lane: Fatchen's expressway, 6 November 2013.
⁴ SA Government, Infrastructure SA, Northern Connector, 15 August 2014.
⁵ SA Government, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, North-South Corridor, South Road Superway, Supporting The Superway.
⁶ SA Government, Parliament of South Australia, Southern Expressway Stage 2 Submission to the Parliamentary Public Works Committee, Environmental Report Summary.
⁷ Project information sheet No. 4, Reinforced Earth Company Australia, August 1985.
⁸ Highway Engineering in Australia, February-March 1985.
⁹ Green Left, Expressway Opposition in Adelaide.
¹⁰ SA Government, Parliament of South Australia, Southern Expressway Stage 2 Submission to the Parliamentary Public Works Committee, Proposal.
¹¹ Built Environs, Southern Expressway Stage 2.
¹² SA Government, Transport SA, Media Releases, Safety Improvements on the Southern Expressway.
¹³ SA Government, Transport SA, Media Releases, New Lighting Night Hours.
¹⁴ Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Completed projects, Gallipoli Underpass.
¹⁵ Adelaide Now, Northern Expressway open for business, 13 September 2010.
¹⁶ SA Government, Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann News, Safety Upgrade to Southern Expressway.
¹⁷ SA Government, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, South Road Upgrade, ANZAC Highway Underpass Community Update, August 2009.
¹⁸ SA Government, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, South Road Superway - Building roads and knowledge. 20 August 2010.
¹⁹ SA Government, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Media Release, Use The South Road Superway and Save Time, 13 March 2014.
²⁰ SA Government, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Southern Expressway Duplication.
²¹ SA Government, Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia, News, Permanent throw screens set for Southern Expressway, 21 November 2018.