The new and improved Southern Expressway will open this Sunday. Courtesy: Network Ten

The Southern Expressway wait is almost over

THE $407 million Southern Expressway duplication will open to two-way traffic from Sunday (August 3), SA Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan has said today.

The announcement comes less than 48 hours after a Transport Department spokeswoman, who wouldn’t be named, said there was no completion date.

“We have had no confirmation of a final opening date,” the spokeswoman said in an email sent to the Southern Times Messenger on Wednesday (July 30).

But Mr Mullighan warns motorists will face delays for “several weeks” once the 18.5km expressway is reopened.

News_Image_File: An artist’s impression of what the completed Southern Expressway Duplication will look like.

“Local residents and businesses have been very understanding during the construction, and I’d

like to thank them for their patience,” he said.

There will be lane restrictions and weekend closures with work on kerbing and footpaths still to be completed.

The expressway’s speed limit will be reduced as the final asphalt surface is bedded in.

Expressway exit ramps will be restricted to 60km/h and intersections at 40km/h.

The speed limit along most of the expressway will be 100km/h but will be reduced to 80km/h when driving past exit ramps.

Work on the project, which started in 2011, was expected to be finished by July 27 this year but was pushed back due to wet weather delaying works.

News_Rich_Media: Watch a large controlled explosion for the Southern Expressway expansion in Adelaide’s southern suburbs.

The project involves turning a one-way reversible expressway into an 18.5km multi-lane, two-way expressway between Bedford Park and Old Noarlunga.

The new road gives northbound traffic two lanes from Old Noarlunga to Reynella and four lanes from Reynella to Bedford Park.

Southbound traffic will have three lanes from Bedford Park to Reynella and two lanes from Reynella to Old Noarlunga.

It will be open to two-way traffic from Sunday, 3pm

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