Community leads change to improved local access around Goodwood Station

Monday, 19 February 2024

Following concerns from the local community about the impact to trees and to the Forestville Reserve, improvements will be made to local access instead of constructing an overpass near the Goodwood railway station and tram bridge.

In May 2022, a community reference group (CRG) was established to hear the views of the local community and key user groups regarding building the Mike Turtur overpass. This follows an election commitment by the South Australian government to put the project on hold and undertake further engagement to better understand local concerns.

Members represented local residents, reserve users, Unley Swimming Centre users, pedestrians and cyclists. A number of members were also Goodwood Railway Station users. The City of Unley and Unley Bicycle User Group were also represented.
One of the key themes to emerge from these meetings was the need to minimise impacts on Forestville Reserve and nearby trees, as well as on local roads and properties, both in the final design and during construction.

During the five CRG meetings and site walks held between May and August 2022, several alternative options for both an overpass and underpass were raised and considered by the group. There was not a clear standout preferred option amongst CRG members, with all options having considerable local impacts.

On review of the design alternatives, and in consideration of the feedback received, it was concluded that there was no feasible option that would not impact Forestville Reserve.

Based on this, the decision has been made to not progress with the overpass. Instead, the existing railway underpass and ramps will now be refreshed to improve safety and amenity, and the archways under the tramline on the eastern and western sides of the rail line will be widened to improve the safety of the shared use paths.

The upgrades will also include new lighting, mirrors, CCTV installation, drainage improvements, new asphalt surface and re-painting.

These changes will improve safety and the user experience of the underpass and shared use paths, with minimal impacts on the Forestville Reserve and its trees.

More information about the planned local upgrades, including associated timelines and impacts from construction, will be advised as the project detail is finalised. Engagement with key stakeholders and the community will continue to be important as these local upgrades are delivered.

The cycling infrastructure upgrade is part of the $421.4 million Goodwood and Torrens Junctions project, which is jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments, with each committing $210.7 million.