Heysen Boulevard in Mount Barker finally connected as rail level crossing opens
Long dubbed the Boulevard of Broken Promises, a road left broken by developers has finally been finished – and is now open.
Adelaide Hills & Murraylands
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A vital road in Mount Barker has finally been connected by a $5m level crossing after residents were left waiting for years for action.
Heysen Boulevard was left as a broken road since 2018 because different developers were responsible for different sections – but no one was legally required to build a rail level crossing where the road intersected the Steam Ranger line.
Dubbed the Boulevard of Broken Promises, it left dead ends at two different housing estates and the road disconnected by 80 metres at the railway line.
The new rail level crossing on Heysen Boulevard has now been completed under a $5m project jointly funded by the state government and Mount Barker Council, which had long despaired at the road ever being connected.
The works included connecting the dead ends and pedestrian paths, realignment of the existing heritage Steam Ranger rail line, new signalling, lighting and landscaping.
The Steam Ranger kicked off its operations earlier this year.
The level crossing closes a gap in the Boulevard between the Bluestone and Minters Fields estates and opens a critical part of the route, which is reliant on developer funding to construct the connector road.
Funding for the level crossing was not addressed in the original deed in 2010 when Mount Barker underwent a massive rezoning for housing, leaving it in danger of not being completed.
The works are expected to kickstart further construction for the remainder of the connector road.
Heysen Boulevard will eventually run through the entire 1300 hectares of the growth area in Mount Barker.
But its construction has done piecemeal-style by different developers adding sections to the road as they opt to develop their land.
Since the rail corridor is not privately owned by any developer, the responsibility to provide crossing infrastructure and links was not considered nor able to be made legally binding for developers, leaving it up to government and council to resolve.
Independent Hills MP Dan Cregan said the local community had been waiting for the
connection of the east and west sections of Heysen Boulevard for a long time.
“These works will benefit thousands of residents in the southern development areas of Mount Barker,” he said.
“The new level crossing opens up an important thoroughfare and will serve as a platform for further progress along the increasingly popular route.
Mount Barker Mayor David Leach said the council was thrilled the road had been connected and the level crossing now open.
“The new railway crossing will alleviate traffic congestion on surrounding roads, improve access to homes, shopping precincts and other facilities, while also providing a safe, enjoyable walking and cycling route,” he said.
In August, nearly 1.3ha of land along Heysen Boulevard hit the market, confirming plans for a new McDonald’s, KFC and OTR service station near Mount Barker South Woolworths.
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