A $14.2 million upgrade is well underway at Henley Beach set to expand the lively square into a community plaza and provide more outdoor dining and public space to enjoy.
The construction for the Military Road and Main Street upgrade commenced in October this year with $9 million allocated through Council, $2.6 million contribution from SA Power Networks and $2.6 million of funding through the Government of South Australia’s Places for People Grant Program.
The upgrade is set to increase tree canopy, reduce urban heat, improve pedestrian access and safety, and calm traffic, which will ultimately improve road safety for all road users.
“Undergrounding the power lines and providing wider paths and landscaped verges will improve the appearance of the streets and amenity for our residents,” City of Charles Sturt Mayor, Angela Evans said.
“The current western end of Main Street (set to become the plaza) is currently a hot bitumen road that only provides access to 1-hour car parking spaces with paths too steep for wheelchair users.
“When it becomes a plaza, it will still have car and bicycle parking, but will also have landscaping, trees, and disability access, making it more accessible and user friendly.
“The plaza will provide an additional public space for the community, with sheltered public seating and lawn space, as well as increased outdoor dining opportunities for local businesses.”
Council decided to commence this upgrade as the North Street to South Street section of Military Road and the Military Road to East Terrace section of Main Street were both due for renewal of the road, kerb and path assets.
This presented Council with an opportunity to upgrade the streetscapes to better suit the needs and use of the streets over the next 60 years and propose the plaza too.
The project scope will firstly see a streetscaping upgrade of Military Road, between North Street and South Street. It will then see a streetscape upgrade of Main Street, between Military Road and East Terrace. Then finally a conversion of Main Street, between Military Road and Seaview Road, to a public plaza.
The full project is expected to be complete in late 2022, just in time for Summer 2022.
Mayor Evans said it’s currently business as usual at Henley Square during the roadworks, with all shops and eateries open so make sure you still come down and support the businesses.
New 3-hour time limits have been installed on some local streets to increase visitor car parking.
To keep up to date with the project along the way, people are welcome to download the SitePodium app on their mobile device and follow the Military Road and Main Street Upgrade & Public Plaza to stay informed with regular updates throughout construction.
You can find out more about this project, and check out a parking map with the current work locations to help find out where to park at charlessturt.sa.gov.au/militaryandmain
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