Major works on the long-awaited Verdun interchange upgrade will get underway this Sunday, the 22nd of February, with night construction on the South Eastern Freeway.
The project forms part of a $150M joint state and federal investment to upgrade both the Verdun and Mount Barker interchanges at a cost of $120M federally and $30M for South Australia.
Site preparations are already underway, with night works at Verdun starting first, followed by Mount Barker from the 1st of March.
Full access at Verdun
The existing Verdun interchange will be transformed into a full interchange, allowing motorists to enter and exit the South Eastern Freeway in all directions.
Currently, there is no exit ramp for drivers travelling from Mount Barker to Hahndorf, and no entry ramp for eastbound motorists. The upgrade will include a new eastbound entry ramp towards Mount Barker and a new westbound exit ramp connecting to a roundabout at the junction of Mount Barker Road and Silver Road.
A new bridge over the westbound freeway exit underpass will span 13.45 metres, supported by 26 concrete piles and 12 bridge planks. More than 20,000 tonnes of asphalt will be laid as part of the Verdun works, along with 2.25 kilometres of new stormwater pipes.
Safety and congestion in focus
The stretch of freeway between Mount Barker and Verdun carries around 31,000 vehicles a day, with about 46,000 vehicles travelling from Verdun into the city daily.
Between 2019 and 2023 there were 11 reported crashes at the Verdun interchange and 43 at Mount Barker, where more than 31,000 vehicles pass through each day and congestion has become a regular issue.
Governments say the upgrades will increase capacity, reduce bottlenecks and improve emergency vehicle access, while better accommodating growth across the rapidly expanding Adelaide Hills region.
Construction of both interchanges is expected to support about 260 full-time equivalent jobs per year during the build, with completion targeted for late 2027.
The works complement the separate $40 million dollar upgrade of the Mount Barker roundabout currently underway, with a further $80 million dollar Adelaide Road and Hawthorn Road intersection upgrade also pledged if Labor is re-elected.
