PLAYFORD residents have celebrated the completion of a nine-year process to rejuvenate Peachey Road.
Councillors and Playford Alive Community Reference Group (PACRG) members gathered at the John McVeity Centre in Smithfield Plains to celebrate the conclusion of the Peachey Road project. \
The PACRG first pushed council to improve the road nine years ago, and chairman Ron Jones said it made the group “very happy” to see it done.
“During the planning stages there was a few animated discussions in the backrooms amongst the PACRG and the project managers,” he said.
“Getting it off the ground was a challenge, the council got most of it done through grants, so we had it done in stages as the grants came in.
“The anticipation of when it would be finished was the toughest part.”
The project was completed through several Federal and State Government grants, which slowed the completion of the road.
Playford mayor Glenn Docherty said he’s delighted with the new look.
“The upgrade of Peachey Road was part of the targeted urban renewal project ‘Playford Alive’,” he said.
“When you cast your mind back, Peachey Road had a single lane with no line marking, poor-conditioned footpath, very little landscaping and not much in between.
“Peachey Road is now the wonderful boulevard and avenue you see today.
“For far too long we had people driving down Peachey Road, not happy with seeing a main boulevard not being at its full potential.”
The Peachey Road project’s upgrades included new road surfacing, the installation of a median strip, landscaping and new parking bays.
Mr Jones said the road was something for local residents “to be proud of”.
“It looks so amazing now compared to what it did, instead of a just being a two-lane highway, it has a bit of character now.
“You look at all the development in this area, there’s been two homes being knocked down and three built in its place.
“This brings new people to the area, it gives a defined look of the newness of the area.”