High-tech warning signage has been installed at key intersections in McLaren Vale as part of a major $4.98 million road safety project. The initiative, which employs Rural Junction Active Warning Systems (RJAWS) technology, has equipped three intersections with advanced radar-activated signage to enhance driver awareness and road safety.
The intersections currently featuring this technology are at Seaview Road, Coppermine Road, and Olivers Road; Aldinga Road, California Road, and Olivers Road; and Malpas Road and California Road. Plans are in place to extend the installation to two additional intersections: Main Road, Malpas Road, and Binney Road; and Bayliss Road and Communication Road.
City of Onkaparinga Mayor Moira Were shared her thoughts about the initiative, stressing its importance for regional safety. “The goal is to significantly reduce the likelihood of high-speed collisions and minimise their impact,” she said. Mayor Were highlighted the advanced nature of these signs, which she believes will solidify McLaren Vale’s reputation as one of the nation’s safest wine regions.
Leon Bignell MP, supporting the project, praised the collaborative effort between the state and local government. He emphasised the urgency of the upgrades, linking them to regional commitments made during elections. “We have had too many serious injury and fatal car crashes and I took a commitment to the last election that the state government would fund the safety upgrades,” Bignell explained.
Prior to the installation of RJAWS, 14 intersections had already received upgraded signage under the broader 21 intersections safety project. The project’s most significant upcoming upgrades include the construction of ‘teardrop’ islands and a compact roundabout scheduled to begin in September.
The RJAWS technology functions by detecting high-speed vehicles approaching an intersection. For drivers on minor roads, the signs activate flashing stop or give way signals to encourage slowing down. For those with the right of way on major roads, a Variable Message Sign (VMS) alerts drivers to vehicles approaching from side roads, enhancing situational awareness and potentially averting collisions.
This road safety project emerged following a 2021 audit by the City of Onkaparinga, which assessed Main Road between McLaren Vale and Willunga after three serious crashes occurred. From the audit, a broader regional assessment pinpointed 21 high-risk intersections, laying the groundwork for this extensive upgrade initiative.
The project received substantial financial backing, with a $4.2 million pledge from the state government following advocacy from Leon Binnell MP. An additional $737,500 was later contributed by the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program for specific upgrades at the intersection of Main, Johnston, and McMurtrie Roads.
Construction is scheduled to begin in September on the project’s two most significant upgrades, which involve ‘teardrop’ islands at the Main/Johnston/McMurtrie Road intersection and a compact roundabout at the Chalk Hill/Olivers Road intersection (pictured top).
All upgrades under this project are expected to be completed by June 2025.
The responsibility for these road infrastructures is shared between the state’s Department for Infrastructure and Transport, which oversees major roads like Main and Aldinga, and the City of Onkaparinga, which manages adjoining local roads.
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