The South Australian government has released four options for the design of the Hove Level Crossing Removal Project.
The design options are:
- Road over – Raise Brighton Road over the rail corridor with a 500m long bridge.
- Road under – Lower Brighton Road for 450m at 6.6m deep.
- Rail over – Raise the rail line over Brighton Road with a 1,400m rail bridge at 8.4m high.
- Rail under – Lower the rail line in a 1,800m trench at 9.3m under Brighton Road.
Removing the crossing adjacent to Hove Station is hoped to ease congestion on Brighton Road, a key arterial in Adelaide’s south-west, increase safety, and improve connectivity. Community spaces, active transport links, and landscaped areas will also be part of the project.
SA Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Corey Wingard said that the project’s time has come.
“This project has been on the cards for decades in our local community. We need to find a solution to improve safety, reduce noise and air pollution, improve travel times and stop back street rat running.”
Wingard said that consultation will be a key feature of the project.
“Over the past few months we have been having conversations with the residents and stakeholders adjacent to the intersection and the rail corridor to provide them with a greater insight into the planning process and to gather initial feedback,” he said.
“We’ve also been meeting with local business, council and councillors to understand their views on each of the design options being considered.”
The jointly state-federal funded project will consider factors such as impacts on residents and businesses, disruption to rail services and traffic, and heritage and environmental impacts.
A construction contract is expected to be awarded in late 2021, with main works commencing in mid-2022. The South Australian government anticipates the project will be completed by early 2024.