Media response - traffic congestion on Main South Road and expressway

Published on 13 March 2026

Enquiry - The Advertiser

The journalist asked for any updates to the council's position and advocacy on traffic congestion on the state government's road network – Main South Road and the Southern Expressway.

Response

Comments attributed to Mayor Moira Were

Congestion across the southern road network is a growing concern, particularly when crashes occur on Main South Road or the Southern Expressway.

When those routes are disrupted, traffic quickly diverts onto surrounding roads such as Port Noarlunga’s Saltfleet Street, creating widespread congestion.

The reverse is also true – when Saltfleet Street is constrained, it can worsen congestion across the broader network.

As the key gateway to the south used by tens-of-thousands of commuters every day, it’s vital the network can keep traffic moving and that accidents – even minor ones – don’t lead to widespread gridlock.

Our Advocacy Plan 2025–26 includes the ‘Gateway to the South’ as a priority project, calling for substantial state and federal investment to address these issues.

We recognise the significant state government investment in recent road infrastructure projects, including the Torrens to Darlington upgrade, the Victor Harbor Road upgrade, and the duplication of Main South Road between Seaford and Sellicks Beach.

We have approached the state government to offer our support in exploring interim measures that could improve the existing network’s capacity, reduce the number of major disruption events, and minimise their impact.

Ultimately, upgrading the section of Main South Road between the Southern Expressway and Victor Harbor Road is critical to fully realise the benefits of these broader upgrades, and we have offered our support to assist with planning.

We continue to advocate for improvements to other pressure points on the state road network, including the Saltfleet Street bridge, which also experiences flooding during high tide and storm events, further reducing the network’s resilience.

We also support state government investment in the future railway line extension to Aldinga, which would help relieve pressure on the road network.

As the population continues to grow south of the Onkaparinga River, improving the resilience of this network will become increasingly important, and we look forward to future announcements on potential solutions.

ENDS