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Congestion Report 2019

Adelaide

Note: Ratio of median travel time to best (shortest) travel time for each route.

Across Adelaide, most routes have METRs of around 1.1, hence there is little variation between the median travel time and best travel time across the route. Only the A3 (Cross Road) and A14 (Holbrooks Road, Marion Road and Henley Beach Road) routes have METRs of around 1.2, meaning the median travel time is around 20 per cent higher than the best travel time. Routes with relatively high MEURs include the A15, A17 and A3. On theA15, the MEUR is 2.8–2.9 (i.e. nearly three times larger than the minimum travel time variation), on the A17 MEUR is as high as 4.2 and on the A3, the MEUR is 2.4. The Adelaide routes, in contrast to the other capital cities, are predominantly major arterial roads, and thus have greater based levels of uncertainty.

A14 - Port Road to Southern Expressway / Southern Expressway to Port Road

This surface route traverses Adelaide’s eastern suburbs and links Port Road (A7) at West Croydon in the north with the A13 at Darlington in the south. It passes Richmond near the Adelaide Airport and Plympton along the way. The route comprises several different roads including Holbrooks Road, Marion Road and Henley Beach Road.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
Port Road to Southern Expressway 00:18:19 00:28:32 1.2 00:07:13 00:34:27 2.1 15
Southern Expressway to Port Road 00:18:14 00:26:33 1.2 00:06:28 00:21:47 2.1 15

For southbound trips, the lowest median travel times were 18 minutes at 5am and the least uncertainty were experienced at 10pm with an interquartile range of 7 minutes. The longest median travel times and greatest uncertainty were at 5pm with a median of 28 minutes and an interquartile range of 34 minutes. In both morning and afternoon peaks, delays were present near the intersection with Cross Road at Hilton and the early morning and evening peaks saw delays near Sir Donald Bradman Drive at Hilton and also near Port Road.

The shortest median travel time and lowest travel time uncertainty northbound were at 10pm with a median travel time of 18 minutes and an interquartile range of 6.5 minutes. The longest median travel times were 27 minutes experienced in the morning peak at 8am and the greatest travel time uncertainty were in the afternoon peak at 5pm with an interquartile range of 22 minutes. In both morning and afternoon peak periods, delays were generally fairly evenly distributed along the route, but were particularly evident near Sir Donald Bradman Drive.


A15 - ANZAC Hwy to Port Road / Port Road to ANZAC Hwy

This route traverses the western suburbs of Adelaide between Glenelg and Queenstown-Alberton. Its northern sections run parallel to the A14 route in this report, but passes west of Adelaide Airport. This route is also known as Tapleys Hill Road.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
ANZAC Hwy to Port Road 00:13:11 00:18:11 1.1 00:01:40 00:12:36 2.9 13.1
Port Road to ANZAC Hwy 00:13:27 00:18:04 1.1 00:02:00 00:14:23 2.8 13.0

The best travel times travelling north from Glenelg to Port Road were experienced at midnight with a median travel time of 13 minutes and the lowest uncertainty were at 1am with an interquartile range of 2 minutes. The longest median travel times and greatest uncertainty were in the afternoon peak at 6pm with a median of 18 minutes and an interquartile range of 13 minutes. There is also a significant, but less pronounced, morning peak. Delays were somewhat more apparent near the intersection with Sir Donald Bradman Drive at Fulham.

The shortest median travel times southbound on the routes were 13.5 minutes at 4am and the lowest uncertainty were at 3am with an interquartile range of 2 minutes. The longest median travel times were 18 minutes experienced in the afternoon peak at 5pm and the greatest uncertainty was during the afternoon peak at 3pm, with an interquartile range of 14 minutes. Delays were fairly evenly distributed but were particularly evident near Sir Donald Bradman Drive and Grange Road.

The route exhibits significant travel time variability, in both directions, during business hours, presumably due to light vehicle traffic.


A16 - Hampstead Road to Outer Harbor / Outer Harbor to Hampstead Road

This route connects the Port of Adelaide, at Outer Harbor, and the north Adelaide at Hampstead Road (A17). It uses Grand Junction Road, Causeway Road and Semaphore Road and Victoria Road through the suburbs of Ethelton and Birkenhead.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
Hampstead Road to Outer Harbor 00:23:49 00:28:46 1.1 00:07:27 00:18:03 1.6 20.7
Outer Harbor to Hampstead Road 00:23:32 00:29:10 1.1 00:08:06 00:19:57 1.6 20.8

The best travel times travelling from Hampstead Road to Outer Harbor were experienced at 3am with a median travel time of 24 minutes and the lowest uncertainty were at 2am an interquartile range of 7.5 minutes. The longest median travel times and the greatest uncertainty were in the afternoon peak at 4pm with a median travel time of 29 minutes and an interquartile range of 18 minutes—the morning peak is very similar to the afternoon peak. Delays were spread fairly evenly along the route but more apparent on Grand Junction Road and most severe near the intersection with the Princes Highway (A1) at Gepps Cross in both peaks.

The best travel times and lowest uncertainty travelling from Outer Harbor to Hampstead Road were at 4am with a median travel time of 24 minutes and an interquartile range of 8 minutes. The longest median travel times and greatest uncertainty were experienced in the afternoon peak at 4pm with a median travel time of 29 minutes and an interquartile range of 20 minutes. There was also a milder morning peak. Delays were also more apparent along Hampstead Road but most severe near Hampstead Road.

In both directions there was heightened uncertainty throughout business hours.


A17 - Grand Junction to SE Freeway / SE Freeway to Grand Junction

This route follows the A17 south from the A16 (Grand Junction Road) through Adelaide’s eastern suburbs and connects to the South Eastern Freeway and Cross Road at Glen Osmond. The route traverses Hampstead Road, Ascot Avenue and Portrush Road along its length.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
Grand Junction to SE Freeway 00:14:16 00:19:57 1.1 00:01:29 00:21:46 4.2 13.6
SE Freeway to Grand Junction 00:14:40 00:18:34 1.1 00:02:24 00:10:47 2.4 13.6

The best travel times and lowest uncertainty southbound were at 2am with a median travel time of 14 minutes and an interquartile range of 1.5 minutes. The longest median travel times and greatest uncertainty were in the afternoon peak at 3pm with a median travel time of 20 minutes and an interquartile range of 22 minutes. There was also a milder peak in the morning. Delays were fairly evenly distributed along the route.

The best median travel times northbound were 15 minutes at 4am and the lowest uncertainty were at 3am with an interquartile range of 2 minutes. The longest median travel times and greatest uncertainty were experienced during the morning peak at 8am with a median of 19 minutes and an interquartile range of 11 minutes. There was also a smaller but more extended peak in the afternoon. Delays were fairly evenly distributed along the route but with indications of greater delays at the intersection with North East Road (A10).

The route exhibits greater travel time uncertainty throughout business hours in both directions.


A20 - Grand Junction Road to Sturt Highway / Sturt Highway to Grand Junction Road

This route follows the A20 (comprising Main North Road and the Gawler Bypass) from Grand Junction Road at Gepps Cross north to the Stuart Highway near Gawler, and passes through Evanston Park, Blakeview, Elizabeth, Salisbury Park and Mawson Lakes.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
Grand Junction Road to Sturt Highway 00:25:37 00:32:12 1.1 00:05:02 00:27:08 2.7 32.4
Sturt Highway to Grand Junction Road 00:26:59 00:34:05 1.1 00:08:53 00:27:41 2.0 32.6

The best travel times on the northbound lanes were experienced at 4am with a median travel time of 26 minutes and the lowest uncertainty were at 2am with an interquartile range of 5 minutes. The longest median travel times were at 8am with a median of 32 minutes and the greatest uncertainty was at 5pm with an interquartile range of 27 minutes. Delays were more apparent at the beginning of the route.

The best travel times and the lowest uncertainty travelling south were at 3am with a median travel time of 27 minutes and an interquartile range of 9 minutes. The longest median travel times and the greatest uncertainty were, like the reverse direction, experienced in the afternoon peak at 5pm with a median of 34 minutes and an interquartile range of 28 minutes. Delays were again more evident in the southern portions of the route.

This route, like other key routes in Adelaide, exhibits greater travel time uncertainty throughout business hours in both directions. Moreover, the increase in travel time variation is more significant than the increase in median travel times, suggesting that a small but significant proportion of road users experience significant delays on this route.


A22 - Park Terrace to Port Wakefield Road / Port Wakefield Road to Park Terrace

This route follows the A22 north from Park Terrace at north Adelaide and meets the Princes Highway (A1, Port Wakefield Road) at Gepps Cross. It uses Churchill Road and Cavan Road, crossing Grand Junction Road (A16) along its way.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
Park Terrace to Port Wakefield Road 00:08:33 00:10:07 1.1 00:01:42 00:04:55 2.0 7.7
Port Wakefield Road to Park Terrace 00:08:15 00:13:36 1.2 00:02:27 00:15:07 2.2 7.6

The best median travel time northbound from Park Terrace to Port Wakefield Road was 8.5 minutes at 11pm and the lowest uncertainty were experienced at 2am with an interquartile range of nearly 2 minutes. The longest median travel times and the greatest uncertainty were during the afternoon peak at 5pm with a median travel time of 10 minutes and an interquartile range of 5 minutes. Delays were slightly more apparent near the intersection with Park Terrace.

The best median travel time travelling south was 8 minutes at 10pm and the lowest uncertainty were at midnight with an interquartile range of 2.5 minutes. The longest median travel times and the greatest uncertainty were experienced during the afternoon peak at 4pm with a median travel time of 14 minutes and an interquartile range of 15 minutes. The southbound direction morning and afternoon peaks are significantly more distinct than any peak in the opposite direction with delays most apparent in the southern parts of the route near Prospect.


A3 - ANZAC Highway to SE Freeway / SE Freeway to ANZAC Highway

This route follows Cross Road (A3) between the ANZAC Highway (A5) and the South Eastern Freeway at Glen Osmond. It traverses Adelaide’s Southern Suburbs.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
ANZAC Highway to SE Freeway 00:09:50 00:14:53 1.2 00:02:57 00:15:28 2.4 8.7
SE Freeway to ANZAC Highway 00:09:43 00:15:22 1.2 00:02:58 00:18:08 2.5 8.7

The best travel times and lowest uncertainty travelling eastbound from ANZAC Highway to the South Eastern Freeway were experienced at 4am with a median travel time of 10 minutes and an interquartile range of 3 minutes. The longest median travel times and the greatest uncertainty were during the afternoon peak at 4pm with a median travel time of 15 minutes and an interquartile range of 15.5 minutes. There was also a smaller peak in the morning. Delays were spread evenly along the route, but with indications of more apparent delays near South Road in the morning and closer to the South Eastern Freeway in the afternoon.

The best median travel time travelling west was 10 minutes at 5am and the lowest uncertainty were at 4am with an interquartile range of 3 minutes. The longest median travel times was 15 minutes experienced during the afternoon peak at 5pm and the greatest uncertainty was at 4pm with an interquartile range of 18 minutes. Delays were fairly evenly distributed along the route.

In both directions, there was an increase in the median travel time and travel time uncertainty throughout business hours and during the morning and afternoon peak, although median travel time did not vary as much westbound as eastbound.


A9 - Nelson St to Port Wakefield Road / Port Wakefield Road to Nelson St

This route traverses the light industrial areas on Adelaide’s northern fringe. It links Victoria Road and Nelson Street at Birkenhead and the Princes Highway (Port Wakefield Road, A1) at Mawson Lakes, and is an important link for freight from northern Adelaide to the port. It is known at different points on its route as the Port River Expressway and the Salisbury Highway.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
Nelson St to Port Wakefield Road 00:09:29 00:09:59 1.0 00:01:31 00:06:35 1.7 10.2
Port Wakefield Road to Nelson St 00:08:58 00:11:15 1.1 00:01:35 00:06:16 1.8 10.2

The best travel times travelling east were experienced at 1am with a median travel time of 9.5 minutes and the lowest uncertainty were at midnight with an interquartile range of 1.5 minutes. The longest median travel times and the greatest uncertainty was during the afternoon peak at 5pm with a median of 10 minutes and an interquartile range of 6.5 minutes. There was also a milder peak of uncertainty in the morning.

The best median travel time westbound was 9 minutes at 5am and the lowest uncertainty were at 4am with an interquartile range of 1.5 minutes. The longest median travel time was 11 minutes experienced during the morning peak at 7am and the greatest uncertainty was at 8am with an interquartile range of 6 minutes.


A2-M2 - Main South Road to Port River Expressway / Port River Expressway to Main South Road

This route, the only Adelaide route in this report with motorway sections, traverses Adelaide north to south. It follows the A2 and the M2, from the Port River Expressway (A9) at Angle Park and merging with Main South Road at Noarlunga Downs. This route uses the Southern Expressway (M2), South Road (A2) and the North-South Motorway (M2). It does not include the Northern Connector opened in March 2020.

Direction Best travel time Longest median travel time METR Least uncertainty travel time Most uncertainty travel time MEUR Distance
Main South Road to Port River Expressway 00:34:56 00:49:16 1.1 00:08:19 00:45:25 2.1 40.1
Port River Expressway to Main South Road 00:34:52 00:45:45 1.1 00:07:34 00:40:21 2.4 39.8

The best median travel time travelling north from Noarlunga to the Port River Expressway was 35 minutes at 3am and the lowest uncertainty were experienced at midnight with an interquartile range of 8 minutes. The longest median travel times and the greatest uncertainty was at 4pm during the afternoon peak with a median travel time of 49 minutes and an interquartile range of 45 minutes. There was also a smaller peak in median travel time and travel time uncertainty in the morning peaks. Delays during both peaks were more apparent in the surface road sections west of the CBD and on the North-South Motorway.

The best travel times and the lowest uncertainty for southbound trips were at 5am with a median travel time of 35 minutes and an interquartile range of 7.5 minutes. The longest median travel times were experienced during the afternoon peak at 4pm with a median of 46 minutes and the greatest uncertainty was at 3pm with an interquartile range of 40 minutes. There was also a smaller increase in travel times in the morning peak. Delays were most apparent on the surface route sections and the northern parts of the Southern Expressway.

In both directions there was increased uncertainty throughout business hours.

The locations of the travel delays suggest both directions were congested primarily due to afternoon traffic leaving inner parts of Adelaide in opposite directions.