Adelaide Oval footbridge access severely restricted for a year
EXCLUSIVE: Access to Adelaide Oval’s popular footbridge will be severely restricted for a year, forcing fans to find a different route for sport events and concerts.
- Plaza work to force five-month Festival Theatre closure
- 27-storey office Festival Plaza tower to get green light
ACCESS to Adelaide Oval’s popular footbridge will be severely restricted for about a year from Tuesday, forcing thousands of fans along alternate routes for major events including the cricket Big Bash, AFL matches and the Adele concert.
In a surprise move, the access restrictions due to the Festival Plaza redevelopment will extend throughout the AFL season, which the State Government and Oval management had hoped to avoid.
Event-day signs at the bridge’s Oval end will encourage only train passengers to cross. The Adelaide Railway Station’s northern entrance will be closed and pedestrians channelled to the footbridge through a narrow alleyway and temporary pedestrian bridge between the station and adjacent InterContinental hotel.
Fans will be encouraged to use the King William Rd bridge to cross the River Torrens — like they did before the $40.6 million footbridge was opened in 2014 to support the $535 million Oval redevelopment. One kerbside King William Rd lane will be closed and barricaded for pedestrian access during Oval events.
Urban Development Minister Stephen Mullighan apologised for any inconvenience but stressed the Plaza overhaul would change Adelaide for the better.
The Riverbank Footbridge typically is used by about 20,000 fans for events at the Oval attracting a crowd of 50,000 people.
The first stage of the almost $1 billion Festival Plaza project, which includes a 27-storey office tower and proposed $300 million Adelaide Casino expansion, involves lowering the road between the railway station and footbridge.
This had been expected to start immediately after this year’s AFL season, allowing footy fans match-day access through the railway station’s northern doors and construction site during the first half of next season.
But this was delayed by drawn-out talks with the Casino and Sydney property tycoon Lang Walker, whose firm is building the office tower, shops, bars and restaurants in a $500 million project.
The railway station’s southern entrance, including the North Tce underpass, will remain open throughout the project, which is likely to finish in time for next cricket season’s Ashes Test.
Mr Mullighan said pedestrian access would improve once early works, particularly to lower Festival Drv, had been completed. A tunnel eventually will link the footbridge and railway station entrance.
“We appreciate the public’s patience and co-operation during this important project and apologise in advance for any inconvenience,” he said.
The Adelaide Festival Centre carpark will close from December 30 as part of the redevelopment, while the centre’s Festival Theatre will close for five months from July next year.
An Adelaide Riverbank app has been launched to detail changes and help people navigate around the area during the project works.
Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority chief executive officer Andrew Daniels said his group was working with the Adelaide City Council and Transport Department to ensure access was as seamless as possible.
