East-west Adelaide CBD bikeway again pushed back over possible $20 million cost

The start of a planned east-west bikeway through the city will again be pushed back following revelations it could cost up to $20 million.

The start of a planned east-west bikeway through the city will again be pushed back following revelations it could cost up to $20 million.

The Adelaide City Council on Tuesday night decided to not support a new proposal to restart its consultation with residents and traders on the project by April, instead deciding to have “one more discussion” about the Flinders to Franklin route and how it could deliver the project.

It would also look at more the potential for more separated bikeways in the city, adding to the previously contentious north-south route along Frome Rd.

Cr Helen Donovan had proposed the council restart the consultation process on the east-west by April before the changes.

She said it was “utterly ridiculous” the council was again delaying the project.

“It is absolute rubbish that we need to spend $16 million to $20 million on every separated bikeway,” she said.

Bicycle Institute of SA’s vice chair Katie Gilfillan on the Frome St bikeway last year. Picture: AAP / Keryn Stevens

“That is the current method that was used on Frome … it’s beautiful, it’s lovely but there is no way that level (of quality) will be rolled out across the city.”

The potential increased cost of the Flinders to Franklin route emerged after questions of staff by Deputy Lord Mayor Houssam Abiad.

The State Government has $5.5 million to $6 million reserved for the council to start the east west route, part of an overall $12 million package to improve cycling infrastructure in the city.

Council’s director of operations Beth Davidson-Park said the east-west route could have a significantly higher cost.

“An east-west of the standard of the Frome St section would be in the vicinity of $16 million to $20 million,” she said.

Cr Abiad said the council needed to have a broader discussion with the State Government about transport in the city.

Pedestrians walk past construction along the Frome St bikeway between Pirie St and Grenfell St. a year ago. Picture: AAP / Brenton Edwards

He said the council could even look at a separated bikeway along the southern end of King William St, as part of major tram redevelopments that will take place, which he said was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

“But we also need to look at where are the bus corridors, where are the tram corridors,” he said.

“We can rollout 25 per cent (of the east-west), that’s all we can do given the current numbers.”

Cr Alexander Hyde, who flagged the changes to Cr Donovan’s proposal, said the council could not afford to repeat the mistakes it made with the Frome St section — which had to be ripped up and constructed again after a contentious first design.

“The biggest single disservice that was ever done to cycling infrastructure in this city was when (then Lord Mayor) Stephen Yarwood rushed into, without doing the proper groundwork, the north-south corridor,” he said.

“We need to remember that Adelaide is a place that sometimes doesn’t appreciate new things like it should and because it was approached in the wrong way it set back cycling infrastructure years.”

Luigi's Delicatessen owner Luigi Di Costanzo in 2017 raising concerns about the proposed east-west bikeway on his business (AAP/ROY VANDERVEGT)

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor and council chief executive Mark Goldstone urged councillors to have one more discussion about the project.

The completion of the north-south bikeway is being held up because of construction on the $100 million Adelaidean.