Businesses along a 1.2km stretch of South Rd will suffer after main arterial road closed
BUSINESSES along the newly-closed stretch of South Rd are worried about lost trade as customers cannot easily access their shops.
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BUSINESSES along a stretch of South Rd that has been closed after debris from an eight-year-old footbridge began collapsing are worried about lost trade as customers cannot easily access their shops.
Half a dozen businesses in the Black Forest Shopping Centre and shops along a 1.2km stretch of South Rd have already been significantly affected by the road closure.
South Rd — between Anzac Hwy and Cross Rd — was closed about 7am on Wednesday after a 100m stretch of the bikeway and pedestrian overpass, that runs alongside the tram line, tilted and debris fell on to the main arterial road.
It is expected to be out of action for the rest of the week, Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan said on Thursday.
The Village Baker owner Ben Sachse said the food shops along the closed section of South Rd would “suffer the most”.
“I think (Thursday) will be even quieter because everyone would have heard about it and they will avoid the area,” he told The Advertiser.
“Unless you know your backstreets and your way around, we’ll probably struggle.
“A lot of people who do know me — and part of their day is travelling up and down South Rd — generally stop in and grab something. They won’t be doing that.”
He said he would reduce the amount of bread he bakes by half at the Black Forest bakery and cut the number of staff.
But he said he was thankful he had a second shop to minimise the impact of the lull in sales on the business.
“I’ll reduce my staffing levels out the front but having a second shop at Burnside Village plus a few wholesale customers will help,” he said.
Mr Sachse said he first found out South Rd had been closed by the The Advertiser’s AM Edition email on Wednesday morning.
“I’ve got The Advertiser on Facebook and I get the emails twice a day so that was the first I had heard of it,” he said.
“Then I read it and looked out on to South Rd and realised there were no cars driving up and down.
“The morning is my busiest part of the day so I’m pretty focused and concentrating on what I’m doing.
“Then trade started to slow down.
“I think those whose normal day is to drive past and come in here, they probably weren’t aware of what was going on and tried to still get here.”
He said the road closure was “a bit annoying” but he was pleased no one was hurt when part of the footbridge fell on to South Rd.
“We would like the road open as soon as possible and it would be good to have a time frame to work by,” he said.
Neighbouring business Subway is planning to close for its dinner trade on Thursday.
On Thursday, RAA mobility and automotive police senior manager Mark Borlace said his organisation was concerned about the maintenance failure.
“RAA is concerned about the failure of such a new structure over an arterial road. It is too early to speculate the cause of the failure, and we look forward to the results of the structural engineer’s assessment,” he said.
He said Goodwood Rd, Marion Rd, Anzac Hwy and Brighton Rd were placed under pressure during the peak-hour commute into the city.
“The intersection of Anzac Hwy and Marion Rd, and then the section of Marion Rd between Anzac Hwy and Cross Rd, which historically is very slow during the afternoon due to the level crossing, will come under even greater stress,” he said.
“We also predict that Goodwood Rd, prior to the intersection with Cross Rd and then from Grange Rd to Daws Rd will also be affected.
“Also, with the closure of the Mike Turtur Bikeway, motorists need to be aware that there could be more cyclists on the road and to take extra care.
“We suggest that commuters stagger their journeys if at all possible and simply stay calm.”
The section of South Rd between Anzac Hwy and Cross Rd sees an average of 50,000 vehicles per day.
Mr Mullighan said he’d been advised sufficient structure checks had been conducted, but said the maintenance process was under review.
Mr Mullighan confirmed all of the state’s bridge infrastructure would also be reviewed.
Work is under way to install a temporary fix but Mr Mullighan said it was too early to give an exact timeline but it was likely to extend until the weekend.
“As soon as (the temporary fix) is assessed to have achieved its outcomes we’ll get South Rd back open to traffic and alleviate some of this significant disruption and inconvenience that unfortunately tens of thousands of motorists, residents and business owners have been put through over the past few days,” he said.
The Minister said he sympathised with angry residents and business owners but the Government was not considering granting compensation at this stage.