Traffic bottleneck at Techport precinct will be ‘disaster’ without road upgrades

A SUB-STANDARD 60km/h road clogged with trucks will prove to be one of the major barriers to the Techport precinct coping with an influx of workers and traffic, experts predict.

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A SUB-STANDARD 60km/h road clogged with trucks will prove to be one of the major barriers to the Techport precinct coping with an influx of workers and traffic, experts predict.

Port Adelaide Mayor Gary Johanson said improvements to Victoria Rd, the main artery between Outer Harbor and the Port River bridges, would be essential to make the area function for freight and passenger vehicles.

He said traffic could become a “disaster” if not addressed properly.

“I know they are reluctant to put traffic lights on Victoria Road because there are just so many trucks on it,’’ Mayor Johanson said.

“That is an ongoing problem even without more vehicles, and it is very, very difficult to turn right to get to Techport already.’’

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll said he would be raising the issues surrounding the peak-hour traffic flow when he next met with the department.

“I’ll be getting some advice on exactly what needs to be done to make sure these issues don’t hamper the most efficient operation of the area around Techport when the expansion begins,’’ he said.

Mr Johanson said a northern access to ASC from Victoria Rd should also be developed to allow North Haven workers easy access to the site without battling motorists approaching from the south of the site.

South Australia can expect at least 8000 direct and indirect jobs from the $90 billion defence spend, consultants PwC predict.

An aerial shot of the Techport precinct at Osborne. Picture: Defence SA

PwC’s CityPulse report identifies the problem with the location of Techport as a “one road in, one road out” bottleneck.

Mr Johanson said the priorities for easing the traffic problem must be to remove trucks from the roads in the area.

He said this should be done by relocating freight to rail and also a light rail passenger service from Adelaide to Outer Harbor.

Mr Johanson said the council still wanted a rail/road interchange at Dry Creek so that freight could be railed through the port, taking hundreds of trucks off Victoria Rd each day. “And the light rail must go directly to Techport because the nearest rail station is some way away,’’ he said.

The Osborne railway station is currently around 1km from Techport.

Glanville Station on the Outer Harbor train line.

On the Le Fevre peninsula alone — incorporating Semaphore, North Haven, Largs Bay and Taperoo — at least 4000 new workers are expected to settle.

And many more will daily travel over the Port River bridges and encounter the traffic bottleneck identified by PwC.

Mr Johanson said a fast ferry service to ease the problem would be rejected because dolphin advocates would not tolerate the intrusion into the animals’ sanctuary in the Port River.

“Anywhere else in the world there would be a high-speed ferry service, but that will never happen,’’ Mr Johanson said.