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Major road bypass proposed for Hahndorf

A bypass will be built around the traffic-congested Adelaide Hills town of Hahndorf, with the State Government putting forward three proposals for interchanges and link roads between the town and the South Eastern Freeway.

Apr 29, 2021, updated Apr 29, 2021
The Hahndorf Old Mill at the town's northern end. Photo: Ben Kelly.

The Hahndorf Old Mill at the town's northern end. Photo: Ben Kelly.

The Department of Infrastructure and Transport this afternoon released the Hahndorf Strategic Planning Study, produced as part of the $250 million Hahndorf Township Improvements and Access Upgrade Project announced in last October’s federal budget.

The report says an estimated 11,000 vehicles, including 480 heavy vehicles pass through the main road of the the popular tourist town each day.

Mt Barker Rd is a main Hills thoroughfare, connecting Verdun and other Hills towns to Totness, Mt Barker and Echunga, reinforced by the lack of an exit from Hahndorf to the freeway uptrack, or an entry to the town via the freeway downtrack.

Plans for alternative access to and around Hahndorf are centred around River Road – which winds through mainly large rural blocks and connects Hahndorf to Mylor and Echunga – and nearby Verdun.

The three road proposals are:

  • A full interchange at River Road and a new link road connecting Echunga Road and River Road;
  • a half interchange at River Road and a link road connecting Echunga Road and River Road
  • a full interchange at Verdun with a link road connecting Echunga Road and River Road.

Each of the upgrades include new traffic signals at the southern intersection and a ramp capacity improvement and a dedicated shared used path between Verdun and Hahndorf.

Construction is not expected to start until 2023.

Source: dit.sa.gov.au

Source: dit.sa.gov.au

Source: dit.sa.gov.au

The Federal Government has committed $200 million to the township upgrade, alongside $50 million from the State Government.

Transport Minister Corey Wingard said one of the three proposals would provide a solution to the current traffic management problem.

“Currently, there is no convenient alternative route for freight vehicles travelling northbound or southbound through the local area, so they need to use Mount Barker Road to get where they need to go,” Wingard said.

“Three alternative route options have been identified to provide access to and from the South Eastern Freeway, along with a set of ideas to improve traffic management and amenity in the main street.”

South Australian Senator Andrew McLachlan said the new proposals were aimed at improving the safety, parking and traffic efficiency of the Hahndorf township, where an increase in heavy traffic is becoming a significant problem.

“Two-thirds of weekday peak hour traffic are trips to or from the south of the town and 300 peak-hour road users have no purpose in the main street of Hahndorf,” he said.

There were 32 crashes reported on Mount Barker Road, Hahndorf between 2015 and 2019, according to the State Government, with two crashes resulting in serious injuries.

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