Letter to the editor

Dept of Transport to risk assess Main Road to Coromandel Valley

As we all know, the 2.6 km of Main Road from Cherry Gardens to Black Road Coromandel Valley is a very narrow, winding goat track that has seen multiple incidents. It carries around 1,300 cars per day. The new rails don't make the road any wider! The recent Cherry Gardens fire demonstrates that we need decent exit roads - not this narrow, crumbling goat track.

In February I wrote to our local Onkaparinga Councilors Marion Themeliotis and Geoff Eaton after I became aware that this road may not be up to Australian standards - particularly with regards to width. Onkaparinga Council traffic and transport staff have now answered my questions, confirming that it is not. They wrote: 

"Measurements from NearMap aerial imagery would indicate that lane widths are well below the desirable width of 3.1m (for low-volume roads). This has not been validated by on-the-ground field measurements; however it would appear to be fairly certain that the recommended 3.5m lane widths are not achieved on Main Road, especially through the rural section south of Black Road"

As a result, DIT are now going to do a "safety assessment which will incorporate a risk assessment" , with a concept study of the result - presumably with indicative costs. As an interim measure to reduce the number of heavy vehicles, the section of Main Road will be removed from the heavy vehicle network map for 19m semi-trailers and single articulated vehicles or truck trailer combination less than 20m long.

DIT also wrote, "Should the concept study progress to a project, it will be submitted for funding consideration and assessed against other statewide priorities."

Money will be the issue. To comprehensively widen this road for our safety and our safe evacuation in case of bushfire will likely involve significant earthworks and/or a regrettable loss of mature trees.

So, if we all want this 2.6km of road brought up to Australian standard, we will all need to make all our collective voices heard to local MP Steve Murray for SA Government funding support once DIT completes the concept study.  Stay tuned and drive safe.