Published on 17 December 2021
Happy Valley Drive Trail now open
A new 1.6-kilometre trail alongside Happy Valley Drive is now complete and open to the public.
The 2.5m wide off-road trail is located between Chandlers Hill Road and Manning Road, and it improves pedestrian and cycling connectivity, increasing active recreation opportunities in the area.
City of Onkaparinga Director City Operations Kirk Richardson said the new trail is a fantastic community asset and is in response to community and MP requests over several years.
“The Happy Valley Drive Trail supports sustainable transport and allows residents and visitors easier and safer access to recreation hotspots such as Minkarra Park,” he said.
“The trail forms part of our Trails and Cycling Strategic Management Plan that supports healthy and active lifestyles.
“It’s also great timing, with the Happy Valley Reservoir alongside having just opened to the public for recreation on Saturday 11 December, for the first time in 120 years.”
City of Onkaparinga worked in collaboration with SA Water to investigate and design the trail to ensure its alignment was guided by existing vegetation, water flows and road traffic movements.
The Australian Government fully funded the trail as part of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program.
This program supports local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia, supporting jobs and the resilience of local economies to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Happy Valley Drive Trail is one of several LRCI projects completed or underway in the surrounding area, including dog park lighting, sports lighting and concrete renewal at Happy Valley Bowling Club, irrigation upgrade at Happy Valley Oval, and an air conditioning upgrade at the Hub Recreation Centre.
A unisex changeroom upgrade at Happy Valley Sports Park is among the projects submitted by council to share in $4.92 million in LRCI funding through Phase 3 of the program.