Road safety upgrade bonanza for Adelaide Hills

Friday, 23 May 2025

Adelaide Hills residents and visitors will be able to benefit from a raft of safer and more useable roads as a series of works continues to roll out.

The South Australian Government is implementing key road safety improvements throughout the Adelaide Hills as part of the Adelaide Hills Productivity and Road Safety Package, while work will start soon to upgrade junctions along River Road.

The $150 million Adelaide Hills Productivity and Road Safety Package, jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments (80:20) over five years, includes a range of road improvements to support economic growth, improve road safety and increase fire resilience in the Adelaide Hills area.

The package includes pavement works, road widening, easing of tight curves, shoulder sealing, audio tactile line marking, safety barrier installation, junction upgrades, and vegetation management on some of the region’s key strategic arterial roads.

The intersection of Mawson Road, Battunga Road and Nottage Terrace, Meadows is being upgraded, with a new single-lane roundabout to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians. On average, more than 10,000 vehicles and 550 heavy vehicles pass through this intersection each day.

To help pedestrians and cyclists cross the road safely, the design will include new pedestrian facilities such as pedestrian refuges and ‘wombat’ crossings, along with new and upgraded footpaths at the roundabout.

Community members are now invited to give their insights into the concept plan and their experiences at the intersection to help inform the final design.

Information sessions will be held at Meadows Memorial Hall Thursday, 22 May between 5pm – 7pm and Saturday, 24 May between 12.30pm – 2.30pm.

For those who can’t attend an information session, community members can still have their say through emailing DIT.Engagement@sa.gov.au, calling 1300 794 880 or completing the online survey at www.dit.sa.gov.au/meadowsPRS.

Works on the Onkaparinga Valley Road, Nairne Road, and Junction Road intersection upgrade, along with works for the intersection upgrade at Junction and Jones Road, Balhannah, will be underway from mid-2025.

A single-lane roundabout at the Onkaparinga Valley Road, Nairne Road, and Junction Road intersection will improve road safety and traffic flow for all users through the intersection, including heavy vehicles. The project will also include upgraded pedestrian refuges, ramps and improved footpaths.

The upgrade at the intersection of Junction and Jones Roads will include new line marking, signage and upgraded road lighting.

Works on these two projects will support 40 jobs during construction.
The community is invited to view the final concept designs for these upgrades at information sessions to be held at the Balhannah Soldier’s Memorial Hall on Thursday, 12 June from 5pm to 7pm, and on Saturday, 14 June from 11am to 2pm.

The design for the upgrade of North East Road and Torrens Valley Road has also been completed. These works aim to address community concerns about the poor quality of the road surface and the narrow, tight curves that can make it difficult to safely pass cyclists.

A new road surface will improve skid resistance and safety barriers will protect motorists from roadside hazards. Other features such as road and curve widening and new line marking, including centreline audio tactile line marking, will also be included as part of the upgrade.

Vegetation trimming will help to improve sight lines, and updated signage and better clarity on traffic direction will help reduce the risk of accidents.

Work is scheduled to commence in mid-2025 and will support 70 jobs during construction. Further information about the timing, early works, and planned traffic management will be shared closer to the commencement date.

Along with the intersection and road upgrades, roadside tree trimming and preparation works are underway on Kangarilla Road at multiple locations between Clarendon and Kangarilla until mid-June 2025, ensuring clearer lines of sight and safer traffic conditions for road users. This project is supporting 25 jobs during construction.

The South Australian Government is also delivering important safety upgrades to the junctions along River Road. The start of work is now a step closer, with the construction contract awarded to BMD Constructions Pty Ltd.

BMD is an Australian engineering, construction and urban development company who has previously delivered several projects for the South Australian Government.

The River Road Junction Improvements project includes widening the junction of River Road and Mount Barker Road to improve safety and allow trucks to turn left onto Mount Barker Road and right onto River Road, without encroaching on the opposing lanes.

A new pedestrian refuge will be constructed on Mount Barker Road to the east of the River Road junction, while installation of new footpaths and pram ramps will improve pedestrian safety.

The project also includes targeted road resurfacing, upgrades to drainage and lighting and improved signage and line marking. Bus bays on Mount Barker Road will be relocated and partially indented to allow traffic to safely pass a stopped bus.

The upgrade of the junction of Strathalbyn Road with River Road will have a new right turn lane from Strathalbyn Road into River Road, road widening and targeted resurfacing, drainage and lighting upgrades, plus roadside protection and improved signage and line marking, as well as changes for pedestrian access to the Heysen Trail near the Strathalbyn Road and River Road junction.

Minor improvements will be delivered at the junctions of River Road with Kangaroo Reef, Sawmill Gully and Fairview Roads including some road widening and improved signage and line marking. The River Road and Fairview Road junction will be realigned to improve sight lines.

The River Road Junction Improvements project is jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments (80:20) and will support 60 jobs over the construction period. Main construction works are expected to commence in July and be completed in late 2025.