Frequently Asked Questions

Portrush Road forms part of the National Land Transport Network and the Outer Ring Route, providing an important north-south connection from the South Eastern Freeway around the City of Adelaide. Both Portrush Road and Magill Road are also important routes for commuters and public transport users.

There are approximately 62,000 vehicles that travel through the intersection each day.  In the 5 year period between 2015 and 2019 there were 50 crashes at the intersection, consisting of one serious injury crash, 18 minor injury crashes, and 31 property damage crashes.  

Private, commercial, freight and public transport users all currently experience significant travel time delays through the intersection leading to increased costs of travel. 

Congestion levels at the intersection are likely to worsen significantly without action being taken to address these issues. 

The majority of the project widening will occur on the western side of Portrush Road as well as on the northern side of Magill Road, to the west of Portrush Road, to avoid impacting the crucial electrical sub-station on the south-east quadrant of the intersection. 

Relocation of the electrical substation would significantly increase the cost of the project and create significant service disruption as it is a second feeder to the CBD. Therefore, road widening needs to occur on the western side of the road.

Insufficient capacity at the intersection is resulting in long queues and congestion. Increasing the number of lanes at the intersection allows more vehicles to move through the intersection improving travel time and reducing congestion. 

Consideration is being given to any areas of land that remain surplus alongside the new alignment. These areas may be used as green spaces, allowing opportunity for additional vegetation to be planted in the area. The community will have further opportunity to work with the project team to investigate opportunities for these identified areas.

The department is actively considering opportunities to improve amenity at the intersection. As the design progresses further details will be available regarding landscaping and the location of green space. The community will have further opportunity to work with the project team to investigate opportunities for these identified areas.

The Government is considering opportunities to retain some surplus land to improve amenity at the intersection.  However, any new buildings that are established following the completion of the project will need to comply with relevant zoning rules.  Land facing Portrush Road on the western side is classified as a suburban neighbourhood zone under the Draft Planning and Design Code, with a building height of two storeys.  

The upgrade of the intersection will result in an overall increase in capacity and reduced congestion in the intersection and is expected to attract motorists who currently ‘rat run’ through adjacent side streets back to using the intersection again. 

DIT will work with the City of Norwood Payneham St Peters and the City of Burnside to regularly review traffic management arrangements during construction, to ensure that traffic is managed to discourage ‘rat running’. 

As part of delivering this project, DIT will continue to work with the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters and the City of Burnside to coordinate traffic management measures at the intersection and on inner roads.

Yes, this turn will still be permitted.

Early works commenced in June 2020, with major construction commencing in April 2021. Project completion is expected in 2022.

Where possible, pedestrian refuge islands are being upgraded to improve safety for waiting pedestrians. The signals will be programmed to allow sufficient walking time for the increased length of crosswalks and will be supported by detection systems in line with DIT’s Traffic Signal Design Specifications. 

The treatment proposed at this location is a standard approach used at the majority of intersections across the Adelaide Metropolitan road network and is in accordance with current standards. Cyclist safety is a key consideration during refinement of the design.

A noise assessment was undertaken during the design phase of the project in accordance with DIT’s Noise Traffic.

Guidelines https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/standards/environment. Consideration has been given to the use of treatments for noise sensitive properties. 

Noise from construction activities will be managed through a Construction Environmental Management Plan which will establish the mitigation measures and consultation requirements for different construction activities. 

All feedback received regarding the current proposed concept design will be forwarded on to the project team for review and consideration.

This feedback is important and will continue to help inform the refinement of the design and the roll out of construction. The Department of Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) will continue to liaise with the community during construction. All feedback and concerns will be considered as the project team continue to identify outcomes that deliver on the project’s objectives, whilst balancing the needs of the various stakeholders, as much as practically possible.