GAWLER Council will investigate the possibility of changing Gawler East Link Road’s 50km/h speed limit following strong community backlash.

The 5.5km road formed part of a $67.7 million project and was opened to traffic last month after almost two years of construction.

However, since opening the road’s 50km/h speed has been widely criticised by users as being “too slow”.

During last week’s special council meeting, councillor Ian Tooley moved a motion that council act to change the speed limit from 50km/h to 60km/h for the majority of its length and investigate the possibility of 80km/h.

“This I’m told is a road under our jurisdiction and common sense to me would say until development happens on this road lets maximise the way that we advertise this as a big time saver for people south of the Barossa…” he said.

“In the interim (of development) let’s make it 80km/h and then once more residential development starts to impact the road, then let’s review that and change it maybe to 60km/h.

“Our job is not to be an apologist for DIT (Department of Infrastructure and Transport).

“We must fight for what is best for our town.”

During discussion, Gawler Mayor Karen Redman questioned if DIT would approve an 80km speed limit based on the road’s design.

“The road is designed for a 60km/h design speed, but posted at 50km/h,” council’s manager of infrastructure and engineering services Sam Dilena said.

“The likelihood of getting an 80km/h is negligible.

“It is possible we could investigate 60km, but the reality is council does not have the power to change the speed limit, the power is only available to the Department of Transport.”

Councillor Brian Sambell urged fellow elected members to vote through the motion.

“I took my wife’s car the other day and I had to put the handbrake on because I was doing 80 coming down the hill – 50km/h is ridiculous,” he said.

“We as elected members have been voted in by the people and we’ve got to listen to what the ratepayers are saying, and we’ve got to work with the staff that we employ.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, but we need to be kept in the loop.”

Councillor Nathan Shanks echoed Cr Sambell’s observations.

“We have all had the phone calls and seen the comments,” he said.

“We have our community calling out for something they want us to look into.

“The 80km/h might not be a possibility, but no harm in investigating.”

Having road crash experience, councillor Paul Little said 80km/h was out of reach.

“Having worked in that field, the road is not built for 80 sorry, there is no overtaking lanes,” he said.

“But 50km/h is atrocious. I would support 60km/h as the safe alternative.”

However, councillor Paul Koch spoke against the motion due to safety risks.

“Last thing we want is to agree to populist ideas without doing research and thinking things through,” he said.

“(The speed) is designed to keep you safe.”

Mr Dilena said any speed limit changes could come at a significant cost to council.

“We would be spending good money to act on behalf of the community,” Cr Tooley responded.

Meanwhile, Gawler Council’s request to seek a $2.4 million waiver for its contribution to the Gawler East Link Road development was rejected by the State Government.

Council had hoped to redirect the money as economic stimulus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.