Premier Jay Weatherill says a toll levied only on freight vehicles could help fund upgrade of South Rd Northern Connector Premier Jay Weatherill says tolls for freight vehicles are being considered. Photo: Sam Wundke. TOLLS on freight vehicles are being considered to fund construction of the $1.1 billion South Rd Northern Connector and a building plan could be released before the state election. Premier Jay Weatherill today called on the Federal Government to back away from plans to upgrade the Darlington Interchange and instead back the Torrens to Torrens upgrade of South Rd around the Port Rd intersection, arguing engineering plans are far further advanced. However, Mr Weatherill also confirmed plans to deliver the Northern Connector project, a road and rail plan to link the Northern and Port River expressways, were being closely considered. The Federal Government advisory group Infrastructure Australia has positively reviewed the project but insisted tolls be considered to support the business plan for construction. TELL US: Which SA roads would you like to see fixed if we introduced tolls? An artist impression showing an aerial view of the proposed dual-purpose Southern Interchange Northern Connector transport corridor running from Wingfield to the Northern Expressway. Mr Weatherill said the State Government remained strongly opposed to tolls on commuter traffic across the state but would consider supporting one levied exclusively on industry. "We've ruled out tolls (for commuters) but I think in relation to freight, the Freight Council have said that is something that they're prepared to consider - a freight-only set of arrangements," he said. We wouldn't tolerate and have ruled out tolls for commuter traffic. What we're looking at is ways in which it can be funded through some mechanism which involves a contribution from industry. Precisely what form that will take is something that we are prepared to consider. In November, Freight Council chief executive officer Neil Murphy told The Advertiser SA needed alternative sources of funding to avoid missing out on investment. "Governments are strapped for cash ... our point has always been that the available funds are with the superannuation funds," Mr Murphy said. They're interested in a return to their investors. That means tolls. They could be direct user pays ... but it could be a shadow toll, where there's a toll that's paid by the Government based on usage. The private sector puts forward the funding, builds it, then the Government pays it off as people use the facilities. Mr Weatherill said plans for the Northern Connector were even more advanced than those for Darlington and its completion would deliver a "fantastic" improvement to productivity. "We're well underway with that work, the design work has been completed there," he said. It's a very important project. It runs through the heart of the Northern Suburbs, the very suburbs that would be affected by the Holdens closure. Mr Weatherill raised funding for the project with the Federal Government as one of several measures that could support jobs across the state in the wake of Holdens' 2017 closure. He said the Federal Government must immediately back the Torrens to Torrens project. "Rather than being shovel-ready, this is a shovel that has already started digging," he said. It's ready to go. The Federal Government just need to get out of the way and let this project progress. We're talking about jobs now. That's what we need. About $17 million is earmarked to be spent by April on engineering works to support the project and the State Government is buying up homes in the construction zone. Mr Weatherill said construction at Darlington could not begin for 18 months at best. "It's a long way off and will be the next after the Torrens to Torrens project," he said. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has given in-principle support to completing both the Darlington and Torrens to Torrens project with a decade. However, the Federal Government insists it will stick to an election commitment to complete the Darlington project first.