Push to lower speed limit on busy SA road as locals push back on upgrade

Victor Harbor Road residents say a plan for an overtaking lane at Hindmarsh Valley should be scrapped and that the speed limit should be reduced to 80 kilometres per hour in the area.

The south-bound overtaking lane is proposed for the area between Cut Hill and the Mount Rosa and Squires Road intersections.

It would also require the removal of 388 trees.

At a community meeting yesterday Fleurieu Road Safety Group chair Michael Scott told residents he had grave concerns about the benefit of the overtaking lane, which would be positioned on a downhill slope.

He said the placement of the lane could be dangerous, because drivers would accelerate as they merged back into one lane before entering an area with several intersections.

Mr Scott also questioned whether a passing lane that would end within several kilometres of the entrance to the Victor Harbor township would be of much benefit.

“The end of the passing lane will be three minutes from the roundabout at Urimbirra,” he said.

“The truck you just passed will be right behind you at the intersection.”

Barry Briggs and Jess Bhatia both live on Virgin Road in Hindmarsh Valley and said the area was in need of upgrading, but they did not support the overtaking lane.

Ms Bhatia said that in the past year she had had the traumatic experience of being the first person on the scene of two bad accidents at the intersection of Victor Harbor, Hindmarsh Tiers and Virgin roads.

Mr Briggs said he had seen a big change to the volume of traffic on Victor Harbor Road in the 43 years has lived on his property and that it was dangerous to have a 100kph zone in the area while the intersections were still to be upgraded.

But MP David Basham told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning it was important that a southbound overtaking lane was built in the area.

He said there was 11km of road where it was illegal to pass another vehicle and that the lane would stop people doing “very silly things” once they passed the Hindmarsh Tiers and Virgin Road intersection.

A Department of Infrastructure and Transport spokesperson told the community meeting that a final decision was yet been made on the location of the overtaking lane.

They encouraged residents to provide further feedback despite the closure of the formal consultation process.

A representative from the Conservation Council of South Australia told the meeting that the organisation would continue its campaign against the removal of the trees.