Ranked: Adelaide most improved traffic snarls
The crawl to work and home is set to get better (once life returns to normal) as our favourite intersections begin to cope with more cars. SEE THE LEADERBOARD
SA News
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Adelaide motorists are beginning to enjoy the benefits of extensive infrastructure works after years of traffic delays.
RAA analysis of Transport Department intersection data shows motorists returning to favourite routes which had been shunned because of disruptive roadworks.
Spokesman Charles Mountain said it was important that motorists had confidence to use the key intersections in the Adelaide road network to keep traffic flowing. Adelaide’s road network has experienced significant problems since before the March 2018 State Election when a rush began to finish promised projects such as the CBD tram extension.
But Mr Mountain said the release by the Transport Department of the 10 most used Adelaide intersections showed traffic use returning to normal.
“So if you look at the most popular intersection in Adelaide in 2020, which was sixth in 2017; Adam St, Park Tce and Port Rd, that has returned to normal because there were projects like the Torrens to Torrens that were affecting that intersection,’’ he said.
“Where projects are completed people stop avoiding an intersection, which normally should have a high level of usage. We hope to see the same thing when the Darlington project is completed around the middle of this year as well, so the numbers will come up again at intersections like Marion Rd and Sturt Rd.”
Adelaide’s most used intersection is Adam St, Park Tce and Port Rd at Hindmarsh, with a daily average traffic flow of 93,400 vehicles, up from 84,300 in 2017 when the intersection was ranked 6th.
The second most popular intersection, Regency Rd and South Rd, was ranked only 40th in 2017 as it was strangled by roadworks and only used by 66,300 vehicles a day, compared to the 84,500 now using the route. The intersection has now become a choke point between the Torrens to Torrens project and Northern Connector/Superway on South Rd.
Mr Mountain said the figures highlighted a problem developing with Greenhill Rd, because of increased traffic flow from 2017 after the upgrading of the Britannia Roundabout.
“There are increasing numbers on the inner city ring route and it is important that improvements are made to keep up with this increasing demand,’’ he said.
“It is good that traffic is coming back to the intersections that have the capacity but not so for intersections that need to be upgraded like many on the ring route.
“Also the Grand Junction Rd five ways at Gepps Cross is always at the top of the list for bad traffic flow, and is getting progressively worse so something needs to be done there.’’
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the numbers also reflected traffic moving back to traditional traffic routes after infrastructure projects had finished. “Over the next few years, South Australians will notice a lot of changes on the roads as we upgrade 10 intersections and level crossings and fix more than 1000km of country roads,” he said.
page 47: Valdman’s view