Traffic lights for Lower North East Rd intersection

A DANGEROUS exit and entry point at a local shopping centre will have traffic lights installed if the Liberals win office, while it’s been revealed upgrades to Golden Grove Rd won’t be finished until 2021.

Dernancourt Shopping Centre with Lower North East Rd in front.

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A DANGEROUS exit and entry point at Dernancourt Shopping Centre will have traffic lights installed if the Liberal Party wins office at the state election.

It has committed $1.3 million towards lights at the entrance on Lower North East Rd, where drivers have complained of taking up to 15 minutes to turn right onto the thoroughfare.

The promise follows a $200,000 State Government commitment towards a “seagull island” and protected median waiting space in a three-way $60,000 partnership with Tea Tree Gully Council and the shopping centre owners.

The shared-cost project would allow vehicles to wait in the middle of the road before turning right onto Lower North East Rd.

The Liberal candidate for Torrens, Therese Kenny, said there had been many near misses over the years. More than 600 customers and business operators had signed a petition calling for improvements.

“The traders and the local community have been very frustrated by 16 years of inaction,” she said.

A 13-year-old boy was killed in 2000 while crossing the road to the shops.

Dernancourt Shopping Centre.

SA Best leader Nick Xenophon said that although his party was not fielding a candidate in Torrens, it regarded the Liberals’ proposal as “a worthy project”.

Labor MP Dana Wortley did not respond to questions from the NorthEastern Weekly.

In another Torrens electorate road improvement announcement, the State Government has committed $7.3 million for upgrading the intersection of Fosters and North East roads at Greenacres.

It will introduce a signalised right-turn from Fosters Rd.

The Opposition spokesman on transport, David Pisoni, accused the government of “playing catch-up” after being “shamed into making this announcement” following sustained advocacy by the Liberal candidate for Torrens.

Golden Grove Rd in Surrey Downs.

Meanwhile, major works to upgrade a much-maligned stretch of Golden Grove Rd — between Surrey Downs and Golden Grove — won’t be completed until the second half of 2021.

Minor works have begun on the $20 million upgrade of the troubled stretch, with soil testing and traffic surveys expected to be complete by the end of March.

Local residents, traders and Tea Tree Gully councillors have complained for years the road had been neglected by the State Government with Cr Bernie Keane saying it was a “shame” the busy stretch had failed to attract funding in last year’s state budget.

Major works, which will improve traffic flow and make the road more accessible for cyclists and safer for all road users, will not start until the 2019/20 financial year and take two years to complete.

Up to 3.4km between Park Lake Drive and One Tree Hill Rd will be upgraded and include a new roundabout at the intersection of Golden Grove and Hancock roads.

The road will also be widened to include bike lanes.

Government figures show there had been 51 crashes on this stretch of road between 2012 and 2016.

Premier Jay Weatherill announced the upgrade during a visit to Golden Grove last November.

The Liberal Party has promised to match Labor’s commitment to the road if elected next month.