RAA calls for third lane between Stirling and Mt Barker as South Eastern Freeway nears capacity

Every Hills motorist knows freeway traffic has worsened but new data shows just how bad it’s become – now the RAA says a third lane is the best solution.

Current upgrades of the South Eastern Freeway are not enough to deal with future traffic woes, according to the state’s peak motoring body.

The RAA has revealed its plans to lobby the state government to extend the third lane of the freeway from Stirling to Mt Barker, as traffic volumes in some sections reach near capacity.

According to state government transport data, average daily vehicle movement between Bridgewater and Verdun has reached 46,000 vehicles per day, while vehicle movement between Stirling and Bridgewater sits at almost 43,000 vehicles per day.

The freeway section between Verdun and Mt Barker is also rapidly on the rise.

Since 2018, an additional 12,400 vehicles have been recorded along the stretch, taking the current total to almost 34,000 vehicles per day.

The motoring body now plans to lobby the state government to allocate funding for upgrades in future budgets.

RAA traffic engineer Matthew Vertudaches said traffic volumes between Stirling and Mt Barker had – in some sections – reached capacity.

“As we saw with Stirling to Crafers, when they upgraded that, traffic volume was close to 50,000 on a two-lane road each way, which is far over the capacity,” he said.

“Normally you would look at 40,000 to 45,000 as a maximum, depending on the road type.

“So as these (traffic) volumes around Mount Barker start to approach 44,000, we are going to start seeing similar types of traffic build up.

“The recently announced Hahndorf upgrade may also cause an increase in traffic on the freeway itself between Hahndorf and Mt Barker especially, because a lot of the traffic that’s going through the main street of Hahndorf will go via the freeway instead.”

A $14.2 million third lane between Crafers and Stirling was opened in December last year to help service almost 52,000 vehicles travelling along the busy freeway section.

It followed calls since 2002 by commuters to alleviate traffic woes, when vehicle movement was approximately already 40,000 per day.

An additional 18,000 residents will welcome Mt Barker home over the next 15 years. Picture: Mount Barker District Council.

Since then, vehicle traffic has jumped by around 26-30 per cent with an RAA investigation revealing congestion, speeding and serious crashes among the key issues.

Mr Vertudaches said the current upgrade should serve as a lesson of what could quickly become a reality for the top half of the freeway.

It comes as figures show Mt Barker’s population is growing at an annual speed of 2.62 per cent, putting the regional hotspot well on track to welcome an additional 18,000 residents by 2036.

It will bring with it a new set of challenges, including an increase in demand for public transport and buses needing to travel up and down the freeway.

Mr Vertudaches said a third lane could again hold the answer.

“There will always be a need for a high volume of traffic to come through but whether it’s a dedicated full-time bus lane or even a part-time lane, that can be used by other vehicles outside the peak-hour window, that is definitely something that should be looked into to improve that connectivity between Mt Barker and the city,” he said.

“Another really critical part of this is the freight coming down the freeway as there’s a lot of safety concern with these heavy vehicles coming down.

“By creating an alternative route that is more attractive, that will help alleviate congestion as well … as they account for about 10.5 per cent, so more than 5000 vehicles a day that travel from Crafers down to the Toll Gate.”

Hills residents, including John Hill (chair of the newly formed SA Transport Action Group), Simon Jones (chair of Stirling Business Association), and Julie and Oliver Corfe (Members of the Stirling Road Association), plan to host a community meeting to discuss future transport option along the SE Freeway. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie said fixing congestion on the freeway would require a complex and expensive solution.

She said she would lobby the federal government for additional funds and considered an upgrade a high priority.

“What we need is a holistic plan that incorporates a freight bypass, improved public transport services with associated carpark hubs, and an increase in vehicle lanes on the freeway,” she said.

“The freeway is a steep and dangerous road and we need to provide an alternate route and consider incentives for freight operators using a slightly longer route.

“We also need to consider all public transport options. Let’s not forget we had a regular train service from Adelaide to Mt Pleasant until the mid-1960s and from Adelaide through the Hills to Mt Barker until the mid-1980s.”

The Adelaide Hills Council’s Director for Infrastructure and Operations Pete Bice said more needed to be done to keep commuters safe.

“We’re not surprised by the data showing increased traffic on the South Eastern Freeway over the past 20 years and the ongoing work continues to impact our community who are already affected by the higher traffic volumes,” he said.

“We support any initiatives that will reduce freight traffic and provide users of the freeway with less congestion and greater safety.”

SA Transport Action Group Chair John Hill said his group was in the process of co-ordinating a public meeting to address freeway congestion issues.

The meeting, to be held in Mt Barker over the coming weeks, will include discussion on the feasibility of a passenger rail in the Adelaide Hills.

The meeting hopes to sway the government’s opinion on the popular transport option, which has been deemed as not being financially viable.

The Department of Transport did not reply to questions about future freeway upgrades.

Originally published as RAA calls for third lane between Stirling and Mt Barker as South Eastern Freeway nears capacity