Frequently Asked Questions

Glen Osmond Road and Fullarton Road are major traffic routes and primary freight routes linking commuters, businesses and freight to key activity centres. Fullarton Road forms part of the Inner Ring Route, which is a major traffic route. The intersection is also an integral component of Adelaide’s Public Transport corridor connecting users from the south-eastern suburbs of Adelaide to the CBD.

An average of approximately 58,000 vehicles per day pass through this intersection (based on a count conducted in September 2019).The intersection is experiencing heavy congestion, with competing traffic movements and network constraints leading to increased travel times and risks to safety.

The existing through lanes on Fullarton Road are causing problems due to inadequate capacity, resulting in long delays during peak periods. There is also a need for additional right turn capacity from Glen Osmond Road onto Fullarton Road.

Once complete, the upgrade will improve travel times and road safety, increase intersection capacity and enhance network reliability.

The purpose of the initial project planning study and design development process was to ensure that proposed intersection upgrades provide improved efficiency and reliability for freight and commuters, as well as improving road safety at the intersection.

Transport planning is important in enabling future economic activities in accordance with future predictions in land use and travel demand.

Community engagement is an important part of the process. The Department has undertaken consultation to gather early feedback from the community on the upgrade of the Glen Osmond Road and Fullarton Road intersection as part of the engagement process.

Consultation was undertaken early in the planning and design process to understand community and local business concerns with their feedback gathered to take into consideration.

Key stakeholder meetings, a community update, a public survey and business survey were undertaken, in addition to feedback that was received via the 1300 phone line, emails and web-form submissions.

The online survey for the community and local businesses was undertaken between 12 December 2019 and 30 January 2020. We received 142 public survey responses and 15 business survey responses.

The feedback showed that the community is concerned about: impacts to access to local businesses, vegetation and heritage aspects, access to on street parking, safety and congestion, and impacts to local roads surrounding the intersection.

Key considerations in development of the proposed design included access to local businesses, social impacts, reducing the need for land acquisition, environment and heritage, existing infrastructure such as water, power and gas utilities, and the funding allocation.

The design also had to align with relevant standards and design guidelines.

To improve safety and functionality into and out of nearby businesses by separating the road junction and business access points, and allowing two stage movements across Glen Osmond Road where possible.

Improve the geometry of the Glen Osmond Road and Main Avenue junction.

Aim to improve traffic flow and reduce crash risk by facilitating the relocation of indented bus stop 5 further away from the Fullarton Road/Glen Osmond Road intersection.

Project planning and early design took into account the significant impacts that property acquisition can have on the community. Acquisition of homes and businesses has been minimised in the proposed concept design wherever possible.

The Department has already begun discussions with property owners who will be impacted by property acquisition.

Other than property acquisition, does the preferred concept design contain any other impacts to local businesses and private properties? 

The proposed concept design aims to use the upgrade of the Glen Osmond Road and Fullarton Road intersection to address the accessibility and safety issues for the community when visiting local businesses by enhancing the entry and exit points to improve accessibility and safety to and from properties.

The precise impacts of the project on private properties, including local businesses, will be determined though continued discussions with stakeholders during the detailed design phase of the project.

The value of significant vegetation on Fullarton Road has been thoroughly considered. The concept design includes minimal impact to existing significant vegetation and trees located on Fullarton Road.

As the design progresses further details will be made available regarding any vegetation impacts and revegetation of the project area following construction. Consideration is always given to limit the removal of vegetation along project corridors as much as possible, however for a large upgrade such as this, some vegetation will be impacted.

Feedback received from the community during early consultation highlighted the importance of reducing potential impacts to trees.  Much of the feedback received from stakeholders and the community during early consultation on the project highlighted the value and importance of the significant trees situated adjacent the former Glenside Hospital site on the roadside.

There will be some changes to the existing landscaping (small trees and shrubs) located on the perimeter of properties of local businesses as part of the design. The Department will work closely with these local businesses and Councils to further assess the potential impact of the upgrade and explore appropriate mitigation measures.

The impact to heritage as a result of this project will be mitigated where possible and the Department is working with Heritage SA and other key stakeholders to further understand the potential impacts of the concept design on heritage values.

The Department’s Road Traffic Noise Guidelines provides guidance to departmental staff and consultants in addressing road traffic noise as a key part of infrastructure project development. The Guidelines set out the process to be followed and criteria to be applied when assessing the road traffic noise impacts of infrastructure projects involving new roads and/or major upgrading of existing roads.

The Department will engage acoustic consultants in the detailed design phase to undertake a noise assessment for the intersection upgrade project.  Results of the assessment will be used to determine what, if any, and where noise mitigation treatments are appropriate.

Please be assured every effort is made by the Department and its construction contractors, to minimise impacts to local residents as much as practically possible.

Public transport connectivity and functionality is a strategic priority for the South Australian Government.

The proposed concept design has considered both how public transport functions including how to make improvements to bus stops through indented bus bays and improvements to existing bus bays.

Bus Stop 5 Glen Osmond Road north side is proposed to be moved east and indented.

The concept design includes improvements to pedestrian safety by re-aligning the existing actuated pedestrian crossing on Glen Osmond Road between the Arkaba Hotel and Frewville Foodland and introducing a new pedestrian refuge, adjacent Campbell Road, to assist pedestrians crossing Fullarton Road.

Cycle lanes were a key consideration during the development of the concept design, however it became clear this would have increased the extent of road widening required and land acquisition impacting on local businesses causing significant socio-economic impact.  However, the existing shared path on the eastern side of Fullarton Road adjacent to the Cedar Woods development will be retained.

The key changes being made to the design in response to community feedback include:

• Installation of traffic signals at the intersection of Glen Osmond Road and Main Avenue with dedicated left turn and right turn lanes on Glen Osmond Road to improve access and safety for local road users.

• The existing Pedestrian Actuated Crossing (PAC), signalised push-button crossing on Glen Osmond Road, will be retained. Retaining this signalised crossing will not impact the overall traffic flows along Glen Osmond Road.

• The inclusion of a PAC on Fullarton Road (south of the intersection), opposite the Arkaba Village Shopping Centre carpark, between Hone Street and Campbell Street, to improve pedestrian safety and connectivity.

• Increased drainage to address existing flooding issues.

• Additional vegetation to be planted along the corridor.

Consideration was given to retaining right turns from Fullarton Road into Glen Osmond Road. Right turns were assessed in various configurations including dedicated turn lanes, peak time bans and shared through-and-right turn lanes. In response to feedback received, the right turn from Fullarton Road into Glen Osmond Road, heading towards the South Eastern Freeway, will be retained as part of the project.

Right turns from Fullarton Road into Glen Osmond Road (towards the City) have not been included in the updated design.

People currently turning right from Fullarton Road have numerous alternative routes that they may choose to use. The alternative route that people choose will depend on the origin and destination of their overall trip on the network.