Heaslip road bridge opens in time for Truckweek

The opening of the Heaslip Road Bridge on the Northern Expressway (NEXY) in South Australia last week is a major milestone for both the $564 million project and the heavy vehicle industry. It’s also opened just in time for the trucking industry’s first national TruckWeek promotion.

This bridge will provide a future link to the NEXY to which the Australian Government has committed $451.2 million and the South Australian Government a further $112.8 million.

More than 11,000 vehicles use Heaslip Road every day and the interchange at Womma Road is a key regional hub for the agricultural and industrial transport industry. It is the fifth of many bridges or underpasses to be completed along the 23 kilometre project, which is the largest road project in South Australia for more than half a century.

Australian Trucking Association Chief Executive, Stuart St. Clair, says the NEXY will be a vital link for the national freight network.

“Efficient freight movement is central to the growth of our economy and this project will result in significant time savings for freight coming into Adelaide via the Sturt Highway. This includes freight coming from key areas such as the Barossa Valley and the Riverland.”

When construction in this area is complete, travel times between Adelaide and the regions in to the north will be reduced by up to 20 minutes with thousands of trucks predicted to use the NEXY instead of local roads.

Mr St. Clair says the NEXY will also improve safety for both truck drivers and motorists by reducing truck movements along Main North Road and Salisbury Highway.

“It is fitting that this bridge has opened in the week leading up to TruckWeek, which promotes the importance of heavy vehicles sharing the road safely with other motorists. For more information about TruckWeek, go to www.truckweek.com.au.”

The NEXY is also helping the economy in other ways with over 2,800 people employed on the project to date, many of whom are residents of nearby communities. Ambitious employment targets for the employment of young and Indigenous people have been consistently exceeded, with over 10 per cent of all construction hours on-site undertaken by people from this demographic.

Mr St. Clair applauds the approach of the South Australian Road Transport Association, a member of the ATA, in working with the SA Government to secure this project.  

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