GAWLER East residents are hoping the new Gawler East Link Road (GELR) will help bring more businesses and services to the area and create its own “nucleus”.
Motorists have had access to the GELR since Sunday afternoon, with the new road expected to take traffic away from Adelaide Road and Murray Street and reduce congestion in Gawler.
The road terminates at its northern end at Calton Road, Gawler East, right next door to the Springwood Housing development.
Springwood resident Emile Najjar said the new road could lead to Gawler East becoming its own community with its own services.
“There is a lot of scope for different styles of businesses which could come in here,” he said.
“You have supermarkets, dentists, doctors, or similar can come along to this end of the world.
“Even though there is these places in town (Gawler), it would be nice to have those conveniences close to you. It would become a little of nucleus of our own.”
More than 1300 homes will be built in Springwood, after the State Planning Commission gave approval for the next stage of the development’s expansion earlier this year.
Springwood project director Anthony Andolfatto said the GELR would lead to more house sales in the development.
“The opening of this road is a milestone for both Springwood, and the wider Gawler community,” he said.
“Since its opening, the road has already reduced travel time for our residents, and also provides direct access into the heart of the Springwood Village Centre.
“With an X Convenience currently under construction, and our Springwood Childcare Centre starting next month, the opening of the road has already unlocked significant commercial investment in the Village Centre, with a supermarket, shops and cafes to follow soon.
“Importantly, the road opening also enables our community to grow, paving the way for thousands of new residents to join our flourishing community."
SLOW AND STEADY: GELR speed limit a motorist sticking point
GAWLER motorists have welcomed the opening of the new Gawler East Link Road (GELR), but have been left frustrated by the road’s speed limit.
The $67.7 million GELR opened on Sunday after nearly two years of construction works, and links the Gawler East precinct to the Evanston area.
Commuters have been left frustrated at the road’s speed limit however, with cars required to stick to a 50km/h speed limit along the 5.5km journey.
Readers on The Bunyip’s Facebook page were displeased with new speed limit, with one commenter, Sarena Paleka, questioning how a “dead end road” with “houses, kids and horses on it” could be a 60km/h road, while the GELR was 50km/h.
The Bunyip tested the bypass between 3pm and 3.30pm on Monday, and found the trip along the new road, from Calton Road to the Potts Road-Main North Road intersection was around a minute faster than the return journey from Evanston, along Adelaide Road and Murray Street, and back to Gawler East.