FAQs

We have identified an opportunity to consider streetscape improvements in Wakefield Street to align with planned asset renewals between Victoria Square and Hutt Street. The proposed concept design considers the following:

• overall street amenity 
• a central tree lined median
• additional greening
• new pedestrian crossings 
• continuous footpaths at side streets and laneways

Undergrounding the remaining overhead wires and stobie poles which provide lighting to the street enables us to deliver new road and footpath lighting for the street between Victoria Square and Pulteney Street.

The planned streetscape improvements to Wakefield Street will provide a number of benefits to the community, including:

• Closing and/or narrowing openings of central median at key locations to reduce conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists
• Introducing new mid-block pedestrian crossings to shorten the distance between safe crossing points
• Minimising pedestrian crossing distances by introducing continuous footpaths and protuberances (kerb build outs)
• Improving the safety for school students
• Maximising the potential of the median with robust greening
• Removing overhead powerlines and associated stobie poles to improve lighting for the road and footpath
• Renewed road, kerb and median assets

The existing traffic lanes will be narrowed slightly to accommodate the proposed changes. This will not impact traffic movement, and the existing lane configuration of two lanes in each direction will be maintained. Larger vehicles such as trucks and buses will still be able to use the street. 

The existing openings in the median at Victoria Place, Chancery Lane, west of Pulteney Street, Cypress Street, opposite Christian Brothers College and west of Hutt Street are proposed to be closed. This will mean vehicles will no longer be able to turn right/U-turn at these locations. Vehicles entering and exiting these side streets will be restricted to left turns only. 

Restricting traffic movements in this way will limit the risk of accidents at these intersections and provide the opportunity to introduce a pedestrian and cyclist refuge crossing point. 

All other existing median openings will remain as they are currently.

Parking on the street will be upgraded to meet the current Australian standard sizes and to provide improved opportunities for disability permit parking. These changes will maintain the existing number of parking spaces. 

The existing drop off zone outside St Aloysius College on Wakefield Street will be maintained. A new drop off zone outside Christian Brothers College will be created to improve safety for students and reduce traffic congestion at drop off and pick up times.

We plan to plant Spotted Gum trees (Corymbia maculata) in the central median. These trees have been selected for their large size to provide shade and colour, and will complement the width of the street. They will also match the trees recently planted in Grote Street west which will continue the look and feel along this corridor. Infill street trees (to be planted in the verge) will be planted along Wakefield Street to match the existing avenue of Plane trees (Pulteney Street to Hutt Street) and Jacaranda trees (between Victoria Square and Pulteney Street).

The proposed design aims to retain the existing avenue of large, healthy street trees along Wakefield Street. These will be protected during construction. 

Existing trees that are in poor health or form may be removed as part of the project. Early assessments indicate four trees may fall into this category. 

The following is our planned program:

• Consultation closes 21 July 2023.
• Detailed design of the streetscape works - during 2023/24 financial year.
• Undergrounding of Powerlines (works by SA Power Networks) - during 2024/25 financial year.
• Construction is planned and will be dependent on the Business Plan and Budget for 2024/25 financial year.