In response to a recent request from Federal Transport Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, the City of Onkaparinga Council has sent a list of infrastructure projects within the council area, seeking federal funding for them.
Mayor Erin Thompson
Amongst the projects was a request for $1.8 million for the “Road reconstruction” of Old Coach Road in Aldinga.
Mayor Erin Thompson (pictured) explained that “Old Coach Road, between Township Lane and Iverene Road, Aldinga, was identified for reconstruction and upgrade because the road pavement has suffered from significant reactive soil movement, leading to undulations, failures and water pooling.”
It was noted as that an application for $900,000, roughly half the project cost, had already been sought but the outcome of this application was still unknown. “The administration has submitted an application to the Local Government Transport Advisory Panel’s (LGTAP) Special Local Roads Program (SLRP) seeking a 50% contribution towards the $1.8M project. The works are recommended to include the widening of traffic lanes and sealing of the road shoulders to better cater for increased traffic in the area now and into the future.”
“The project has been recommended to Council for inclusion in the draft 2020-21 Budget and Annual Business Plan for community consultation. Should Council endorse the draft budget, construction is expected to commence by August 2020.” Mayor Thompson said in a response to queries from Coastal Views about the project.
“As well as being a rural distributor road, Old Coach Road is a metropolitan bus route and is used by an increasing number of commuters, heavy vehicles and cyclists. The benefits of this project include improved safety; managed stormwater runoff; formalised bus stops; and an improvement in the overall amenity for residents and road users.
I’d like to thank the residents that provided feedback about the project last year, and I look forward to positive changes the upgrade will bring to Aldinga’s strong vibrant community.” Mayor Thompson concludes
The reconstruction of Old Coach Road was the only project from the Aldinga area to appear on the list however projects in nearby Whites Valley and Sellicks Beach were amongst the list of projects provided to the Federal Minister.
The funding program seeks to fast track infrastructure and transport projects over the coming months as part of the Federal Government’s response to the economic impacts of recent COVID-19 restrictions.
