Main Rd at Cherry Gardens reopens after $10m road safety upgrades finish
A Hills road that’s averaged nearly 10 crashes a year since 2019 has reopened after$10m safety upgrade. See the changes and tell us what SA’s worst road is.
Adelaide Hills & Murraylands
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A treacherous stretch of Adelaide Hills road that’s averaged nearly 10 crashes a year since 2019 has been upgraded in a $10m safety fix, as the RAA launches its latest survey to find SA’s worst roads.
Main Rd at Cherry Gardens is now open to traffic after upgrades along a 5.5km section of road, which include wider lanes, curve widening at nine trouble spots, and a new skidproof road surface.
New safety barriers with motorcycle protection rails have been installed, improved signs, line markings and drainage.
The upgrades are between Black Road, Coromandel Valley and Chandlers Hill Road, Cherry Gardens.
RAA Senior Traffic Engineer Matt Vertudaches said the road was the second-most nominated road in metro Adelaide in RAA’s 2021 Risky Roads survey of drivers.
“The most common concerns we heard from the community included extremely narrow sections, poor road surface and a hazardous roadside – all of which look to have been successfully addressed by these important works,” Mr Vertudaches said.
Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said that between 2019 and 2023, there had been 39 crashes along the stretch of road, two resulting in serious injuries.
It comes as the RAA launches its latest Risky Roads survey, asking people to dob in Adelaide’s worst trouble spots, roads or intersections.
The results are used by the RAA to push for safety upgrades.
“Since our last survey in 2021, 19 of the top 20 metro and regional roads have had at least some work done or a planning study announced,” said Mr Vertudaches
As well as the Cherry Gardens road, other sections highlighted in the 2021 survey now upgraded include Upper Yorke Road (Kulpara to Arthurton) and the Victor Harbor Road /Hindmarsh Tiers Road intersection at Hindmarsh Valley, which will be upgraded to add right turn lanes, and improve the road surface.
“The local knowledge that drivers have about the roads and intersections they travel on every day is invaluable, and helps us identify areas that have an increased risk of serious crashes occurring.”
South Australians can nominate dangerous and frustrating roads or intersections at raa.com.au/riskyroads
Main Road at Cherry Gardens carries about 1300 vehicles a day and is a major link between Blackwood and the city for sections of Happy Valley and Aberfoyle Park, as well as Chandlers Hill, and Clarendon.
Minor finishing works, including new road signs and line marking, will continue until the end of the year, and some speed restrictions may be in place.
Audi-tactile line marking will be finished early 2025 after the Tour Down Under.
The project is part of a $150m Adelaide Hills road safety package, which aims to upgrade some of the region’s key strategic arterial roads.
This project supported about 40 full-time equivalent jobs.
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