Third lane to be added to South Eastern Freeway between Crafers and Stirling and Mt Barker could be the next stop for an upgrade

A third lane will be added to the South Eastern Freeway in both directions between Crafers and Stirling in a bid to bust Adelaide Hills traffic congestion and the upgrades could go further.

South Eastern Freeway at Crafers. File picture

Mount Barker residents could be the next to benefit from a new traffic management system on the South Eastern Freeway that will open up emergency lanes to normal traffic between Crafers and Stirling.

If Mount Barker’s booming population creates a freeway bottleneck similar to the one between Stirling and Crafers, Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the lanes could be extended through to Mount Barker. The third lane is being added between Crafers and Stirling in a bid to bust Adelaide Hills traffic congestion.

About 54,000 vehicles use the stretch of freeway each day, and that number is expected to increase further as the population in the Hills and at Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend continues to grow.

The $14.2 million system, announced on Monday, will swallow up emergency lanes but a sophisticated control system can close the third lane as soon as it is needed in a breakdown or for an emergency vehicle.

“An intelligent traffic monitoring system works so that if there are issues and incidents on the section, we can keep traffic moving by giving motorists clear directions about which lanes to use,’’ Mr Knoll said.

The upgrade requires only minor widening and resealing and work will be completed by the end of next year.

Speed limits will not be affected.

The project is jointly funded by the state and federal governments.

Acting Mount Barker Mayor Greg Morrison welcomed the idea of a future extension of the concept to Mount Barker but warned the on-and-off opening of the third lane could be a problem.

“Motorists will have to learn how to use the system, both when it starts and when it is shut down in an emergency, and having driven trucks down that road, I don’t think it will be easy for some people to get their heads around,’’ he said.

Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said the former Labor state government had also planned the Stirling to Crafers scheme.

But he questioned why the Liberals would fund the scheme when it also had a commitment to the multi-billion dollar GlobeLink freight system to bypass the highway from Murray Bridge.

RAA senior manager road safety Charles Mountain said creating an extra lane was a positive idea.

“This additional lane will significantly improve traffic flow along one of the busiest sections of the freeway,’’ he said.

Heysen MP Josh Teague said the project was a much-needed safety improvement.