GRANT District Council will accelerate its push for the extension of the dual carriageway on Mount Gambier’s northern gateway amid traffic safety concerns and the “shabby” state of the road.
While the entrance into Mount Gambier on the Riddoch Highway has been on council’s radar for some time, it has now requested the state transport department to begin concept plans and costings.
It is hoped construction of a dual carriageway will also drive both industrial and commercial development adjacent the highway.
Council staff have already met with landowners and potential developers within the northern gateway precinct to begin discussions on the proposal.
Thousands of cars and heavy vehicles funnel through the city’s northern gateway entrance each day.
Council environmental services director Leith McEvoy said while the initial plan was to construct a dual carriageway to the Worrolong Road intersection, the broader blueprint was to see it extended to the Mount Gambier Airport.
“A dual carriageway would make a big difference to presentation of Mount Gambier’s northern entrance… it is a fairly shabby section of highway in terms how it is presented,” Mr McEvoy said.
“It will also improve safety. It is 110kph and there are no turn lanes, which poses safety issues.”
He said Grant District Council was working with Mount Gambier City Council on the proposal.
Mr McEvoy also described the talks with relevant landholders as positive given land adjacent the highway was zoned industrial and commercial.
“We had a really good representation from landholders,” Mr McEvoy told council.
“We will have some further discussions with those landholders. We had a good public meeting, but obviously they all have their individual interests.”
In particular, Mr McEvoy said council needed to gauge the community support to upgrade the Riddoch Highway into a dual carriageway.
Mr McEvoy revealed there would need to be some further dealings with the state and federal governments regarding possible funding streams.
“At this time government funding for any major upgrading of the Riddoch Highway should not be anticipated until at least 2021,” Mr McEvoy said.
Mr McEvoy foreshadowed the extension would flow from the dual carriageway that already existed in the city area from Pinehall Avenue/Bishop Road through to Worrolong Road.
He said all utilities and services should be extended from the city along the dual carriageway or near vicinity to assist with the development of the precinct.
Council economic development advisor Mike Ryan said council was keen to foster development in the northern gateway area.
“The talks with the landholders was to give them an understanding of what could potentially take place and it is certainly something the developers have been pushing for,” Mr Ryan said.
He said any development in the area would have implications with the transport department given the highway.
“If a design is done, then people will know what they are dealing with,” Mr Ryan said.
Council has also held talks with Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell and Member for Barker Tony Pasin on the proposal.
