The Adelaide-Crafers Highway is a freeway leading through the Adelaide Hills, linking The City of Adelaide with the South Eastern Freeway. It is the largest road project South Australia has ever undertaken, costing a total of A$151 million, which was wholly funded by the Australian Federal Government. The freeway incorporates twin-tube tunnels, the first of its kind on the National Highway. The length of the freeway is 10km, 500 metres of which are the Heysen Tunnels.
The Adelaide-Crafers Highway came as a much-needed upgrade and replacement to Mount Barker Road, which ascended the Adelaide Hills making it a dangerous and slow route. The notorious Devils Elbow was the site of many accidents. Mount Barker Road could not support a lot of traffic volume, as most of it was windy and 2-laned. On May 16th, 1995 Prime Minister Paul Keating announced the construction of the new freeway. Construction was completed early 2000 and on the 5th of May 2000 Prime Minister John Howard opened the new road.
The freeway features 6 lanes of traffic, three on each side, safety ramps, concrete median barriers, street lighting through all 10kms and above all, a shorter and easier route through the hills.
