Media response - Piggott Range Road memorial
Published on 10 April 2024
Response to The Advertiser.
- Just wondering if I could please ask a few questions [in bold, below] about the Piggott Range Road and Upper Penneys Hill Road memorial removal?
Comments attributed to Acting Director Operations, Matt Buckell
Obviously it's a sensitive topic and I'm sure in an ideal world council would prefer to keep the memorial as is – do you have a message for the family affected by this removal? Will the memorial be given back to the family and will they then be able to place it somewhere else along the road?
I’d like to thank the community for sharing the information far and wide on social media, which we believe was instrumental in alerting the family, who we are now working with to determine if there may be a suitable new location to place the memorial nearby once the road safety project is complete.
We initially sought assistance from the SA Police Major Crash unit to see if they could establish contact with family members through their records, however their attempts were unsuccessful. We then erected signage at the site and published information at the project’s Your Say page appealing for anyone from the family, or someone who knows the family, to please get in contact with us about the memorial. If contact wasn’t made, we planned to carefully remove and store the memorial for 12 months, but thankfully a family member contacted us this week and came to pick it up.
When will works on the road begin and end?
The upgrade works commenced on 26 March 2024 and are expected to be completed in May, subject to weather.
Will there be any road closures or traffic restrictions?
The site is currently operating under work zone traffic control arrangements with temporary speed limit restrictions. Later in the construction period we will need to implement a full daytime road closure will be required for approximately two days for the new asphalt road surfacing with a detour in place. We’re seeking to minimise disruption to motorists as much as possible.
How critical is the road upgrade to the future safety of drivers?
We secured $429,540 in Australian Government Black Spot Program funding to improve road safety at the intersection of Piggott Range Road and Upper Penneys Hill Road, Onkaparinga Hills.
This upgrade project was developed in response to concerns raised by residents and a history of crashes at the intersection involving vehicles colliding with roadside hazards, one of which sadly resulted in the loss of life.
The upgrade includes changing the intersection priority so the southern section of Piggott Range Road will need to give way to traffic travelling between Upper Penneys Hill Road and the north-eastern section of Piggott Range Road; reconfiguring the intersection so that it meets in a T-configuration; widening the roadside shoulders; and installing guardrails to protect vehicles from roadside hazards.
Last year was a horror year on South Australia’s roads, so we’re doing everything we can to make our roads safer. We’re also asking the community to remain alert and always drive to the conditions.
ENDS