The funding was awarded to City of Onkaparinga late last month following safety concerns raised by residents to council in recent years.
Investigations identified a history of crashes along the section, which sits either side of Easton Road, Chandlers Hill/Clarendon.
City of Onkaparinga arranged for warning signs to be upgraded as an interim solution in 2020 and nominated the road for an upgrade through the Black Spot program.
Onkaparinga Mayor Erin Thompson said the funding was a great result for the community and would help save lives.
“I’m really pleased this section of Piggott Range Road will now be upgraded to ensure our communities arrive home safely,” she said.
“This is an example of what we can achieve when we work together, from local residents raising an issue with their elected members, council staff moving quickly to help address it, and the federal government directing funds to where they’re most needed.”
The proposed upgrade will include:
- improving the shape of the curves located either side of the Easton Road intersection by reconstructing the road
- increasing the width of sealed shoulders where possible
- installing a painted right-turn treatment to protect vehicles turning into Easton Road
- removing roadside vegetation to minimise hazards and improve sight lines (subject to native vegetation assessment)
- installing guardrail where appropriate.
“Council is committed to improving safety for everyone that uses our road network as we work together to achieve a rate of zero fatality and serious injury crashes on our roads,” Mayor Thompson said.
Given the substantial level of works required for the project, the funding will be provided over two financial years with $350,000 available in 2021–22 to focus on investigations, design and early works, and the remaining $1,200,000 provided in 2022–23 to undertake the works.
Federal Member for Barker and Chair of the South Australian Black Spot Consultative Panel Tony Pasin said the government’s investment in Black Spot projects would deliver safer roads in local government areas throughout the state.
“The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics has found Black Spot projects reduce the number of crashes causing death and injury by 30 per cent on average,” Mr Pasin said.
“The high-priority locations we’re funding have seen a total of four fatal and 126 crashes causing injuries recorded over the past five years.
“The panel that reviews priorities for the program includes representatives from the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia, the South Australian Road Transport Association, the South Australian Freight Council, South Australian Police, Bicycle SA, Traffic Management Association of Australia and state and local government.”
This latest success in receiving Black Spot funding comes in the wake of $1.3 million received through last year’s funding round, for road safety upgrades along the full length of Cherry Gardens Road, Cherry Gardens.
Stage 1 of that project, involving targeted shoulder widening and hazard removal, was delivered in the 2020–21, with Stage 2 currently being scoped for delivery in 2021–22.
Both the Piggott Range Road and Cherry Gardens Road projects received the highest amount of funding out of all South Australian projects announced in their respective years.
For more information on the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program, or to nominate a black spot, visit the federal government’s website.