This week work begun on installing additional traffic lights and extending three existing turning lanes at the intersection between Cross, Unley and Belair Roads in Kingswood, the scene of more than 30 crashes in recent years.

As part of our Black Spot Program, the Gillard Labor Government has allocated $240,000 to complete these safety improvements by July of this year.

To address the high number of left turn/right turn crashes on both approaches to Cross Road as well as the frequency of left turn and through lane rear end accidents on the eastern and western approaches to Cross Road, the project will:

• Install overhead traffic lights on all approaches;


• Extend the right turn bay eastern approach on Cross Road;


• Extend the right turn bay western approach on Cross Road;


• Extend the right turn lanes on Cross Road beyond William Street; and


• Install lights to control the right turn movements from Cross Road.

The project and the measures being taken were recommended by a panel of independent road safety experts.

Some speed and lane restrictions will be in place during the road works and the median strip opening opposite William Street will be closed – and I thank motorists in advance for their patience.

The Black Spot Program has a proven record of saving lives with an evaluation showing that it prevented at least 32 fatalities and more than 1,500 serious injuries in its first three years.

That’s why the Gillard Labor Government has doubled funding for the Program to $500 million over six years, with $40 million having already been committed to fixing over 300 dangerous black spots on local South Australian roads.