Young Street upgrade launched
A new pedestrian-friendly section of Young Street has been unveiled outside Tiwu Kumangka, home of the Blackwood Library and Community Centre.
Member for Boothby Louise Miller-Frost MP, Member for Waite Catherine Hutchesson MP and City of Mitcham Mayor Dr Heather Holmes-Ross joined Councillors, contractors, designers, builders and local business owners to celebrate the upgrade of Young Street between Waite Street and Main Road, Blackwood.
The upgrade features a section of raised road pavement zone to slow traffic and create a pedestrian-friendly zone, new landscaping with garden beds and trees, renewed road surfacing and upgraded footpaths on both sides of the street and additional car parks.
A new roundabout at the intersection of Young Street and Waite Street, funded through the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program, and the undergrounding of powerlines are also part of the project.
Mayor Holmes-Ross said the upgrade reflected a commitment from Council to link the northern and southern parts of Blackwood and to enhance accessibility, safety and visual appeal, creating a vibrant precinct for the community to enjoy.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to our local businesses for their patience during the construction of this project,” she said. “We hope that what we build here will create more vibrancy in the area. We know that visitation to the new library has increased and we hope that continues to have a flow-on effect to local business.”
Mayor Holmes-Ross also paid tribute to Drakes Supermarket, who have funded the upgrade of the delivery bay on Young Street.
The redevelopment of Young Street and the upgrade of Waite Street Reserve are supported by a $1.6 million Commonwealth Government Investing in Our Communities grant, matched by support from City of Mitcham and a $400,000 grant from the Government of South Australia’s Planning and Development Fund.
A project to upgrade the nearby intersection at Shepherds Hill Road, Waite Street, and Brighton Parade as part of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s Mitcham Hills Corridor Upgrade is also under way and is due to be completed shortly.