Adelaide Hills Transport Study recommends third lane South Eastern Freeway places Hahndorf at top of ‘priority’ safety upgrades list

The freeway needs a third lane, while a list of 11 Adelaide Hills towns needing priority safety upgrades have been revealed in a transport study.

Eleven Adelaide Hills towns are on the hit list for road upgrades and a third lane should be added to the freeway to alleviate the massive population growth exploding across Mount Barker, a transport study shows.

Hills drivers are desperate for better alternative routes, bypass roads and a safer South Eastern Freeway, the 2023 study found, but passenger rail to the CBD would take longer than buses.

It found parts of the freeway are at capacity in morning peak hour, recommending a third lane in both directions between Stirling and Mount Barker, initially focusing on Stirling to Verdun where “there are more crashes”.

The report predicted a staggering increase in freeway traffic by 2036, with a rise of up to 40 per cent for Verdun, 50 per cent for Mount Barker, and 60 per cent at the under-utilised Bald Hills interchange.

A lack of ring roads or bypasses in Mount Barker and Hahndorf is constraining road capacity, rural Hills main streets face speed limit cuts and Hahndorf’s main street is at the top of the “first priority” locations for upgrades.

The study was completed before the tourist town’s long-heralded makeover was dumped.

It says the town’s “heavy traffic” indicates “conflict” between cars and people and states the upgrade would have improved safety.

Long-term Hahndorf business owner Harold Gallasch said the issue of trucks and buses down the main street had been ongoing for decades.

“We’re here every day, and we’ve seen how the problems have developed over the years,” Mr Gallasch said.

Harold Gallasch with his daughter, Sarenah, on Hahndorf’s Main St. Picture: Matt Loxton

“We did a traffic survey ten years ago, counting all the trucks, long before the government ever got on to it.

“We quickly realised that we needed to do more than just putting vehicles on to the freeway because a lot were going north-south trying to cross over the freeway, and they did this through Hahndorf.”

Mr Gallasch said a link road using the underpass on River Road was the answer. Hills locals are holding a transport forum at Littlehampton on December 12.

Other priorities are Shannon Street in Birdwood, Lobethal’s main street, Stirling’s main street and Nairne and Onkaparinga Valley roads at Woodside.

The key transport-related issues for travel within the Adelaide Hills.

The key transport-related issues for travel to and from the Adelaide Hills.

Secondary priorities include the Norton Summit intersection, the Flaxley and Wellington Rd intersection at Mount Barker – which is getting a $40m roundabout – Gorge Road at Cudlee Creek, Balhannah’s main street and through Bridgewater.

All locations were singled out for safety upgrades while truck bypasses “using existing roads” should be considered.

The report found a “widespread perception” existing train tracks could be upgraded to provide high-speed passenger rail.

Road safety recommendations from the Adelaide Hills Transport study.

But it made no recommendations for rail and said train travel time to the CBD would take up to 82 minutes – requiring “very significant investment in new rail track” to make it worthwhile.

“The number of new services that can be supported between Mount Barker and the CBD within peak hours on the existing line is limited,” it said.

“The results from modelling show that between one and three services can be supported in a two-hour peak period.

“Journey times between Mount Barker and the CBD for options during peak hours have been found to be between 60 and 82 minutes.”

The study of 860 people took place from November 2022 to January 2023.

A state government spokesperson said the study’s findings had now been rolled over into the broader rail review announced in the state budget.

They said key opportunities in the report include a business case for mass Hills transit options including rail and bus, better managing the South Eastern Freeway and expansion of the intelligent transport system to warn motorists