The safety of children attending Immanuel Lutheran School at Gawler East will be dramatically improved with the proposed installation of a pedestrian activated crossing (PAC) on Lyndoch Road.
Local Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo said that he had been advised by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) that the crossing had met the criteria to have a pedestrian activated (push button) crossing installed at the location.
“Design work for the crossing will commence shortly and it is hoped that the lights will be operational by the middle of the year,” said Mr Piccolo.
The decision to install the PAC follows an onsite inspection and meeting undertaken by DIT during 2023.
At the meeting, Immanuel Lutheran School principal, Mr Daryl Trigg said that he was concerned about the safety of children crossing Lyndoch Road because there was no single clear message about when motorists had to stop.
Mr Trigg welcomed the announcement and said the new lights will make it clearer to both children crossing and drivers of what their responsibilities are.
“Around peak times there is so much happening on the roads, with motorists looking out for children near the crossing, that they often make an honest mistake and don’t stop,” said Mr Trigg.
Mr Trigg thanked local MP Tony Piccolo and the Gawler Council for their support.
Mr Piccolo said the new lights will also benefit residents in the area trying to cross the very busy Lyndoch Road safely.
Mr Piccolo said this positive outcome was possible because the school, Gawler Council officers, my office and DIT worked together in a collaborative manner in trying to make the locality safer for children.
“Whendee Young and her traffic engineers at the Council did a wonderful job in providing valuable data which helped build the case for the new lights.”
“The current flashing lights infrastructure in place is no longer fit for purpose, with Lyndoch Road carrying more traffic, which will only increase in the future, the time has come for a safer pedestrian crossing option.”