Tangara Dr Upgrade, American River

As part of its Infrastructure & Asset Management Plan (IAMP) and FY24/25 budget allocation, Council has committed funding to construct a footpath along Tangara Drive and reseal the road surface which is currently in very poor condition. The funding enables a footpath between ‘The Shed’ along Tangara Drive to the intersection with Buick Drive, Scenic Drive and Redbanks Road. Three options for the location of a footpath between the playground and CFS station were explored, and following consultation and an Elected Member Council decision, a footpath along the coastal side of the road was selected. There is an opportunity for a future crushed limestone walking trail and trail connection through to Trethewey Court, and Council will explore grant funding opportunities to make further improvements to this important community and visitor precinct.

The project will improve parking delineation and pedestrian safety along Tangara Drive, particularly in front of the tennis courts by the Oyster Farm Shop. It will lift the appearance of the precinct, improve accessibility, add to the work completed as part of the Town Centres Project, help identify sites for future investment (both public and private) and create connections between existing services and facilities.

Prior to the targeted stakeholder meetings and open public information session held in late March 2024, community consultation on different aspects of the project has occurred in recent years. Some of these projects include the Town Centres Project, Five Year Footpath Plan, American River Structure (Place) Plan, American River Strategic Plan, KIC Street Tree Program 2023-2027, KI Coastal Hazard Strategy and Annual Business Plan 2023/2024.

The project’s outcomes align with the following outcomes from the American River Strategic Plan, developed by the American River Progress Association in 2021:

• ● IA1 Footpaths - provide safe travel for residents and visitors
• ● IA2 Parking – provide parking infrastructure to avoid congestion in key areas of town
• ● IA3 - Walkways / Bike Tracks - provides alternative routes and transport means for viewing the surrounds of American River

The project also aligns with several of the Guiding Principles identified in the American River Structure (Place) Plan, but in particular Principle B: Connected Community.

• ● B1. A walkable community. Support a walkable community which is compact in form and well connected.
• ● B3. Create a network of accessible paths.
• ● B5. Ensure new residential areas and tourist and service centres are well-linked to each other, the coast, Marine Precinct, Town Centre and recreation areas.
• ● B7. American River remains a place which is characterised by its natural setting and environment through habitat enhancement and accessible trail networks.

The footpaths proposed on the western and eastern ends of Tangara Drive will be concrete, and the footpaths on both sides of the road between the boat ramp and playground (linking to the Town Centres Project) will be Littlehampton clay pavers for design consistency and to further enhance the wharf precinct character.

Council reviews the footpath program annually as part of the IAMP. This ensures it more accurately reflects costs associated with footpath upgrades (e.g. drainage, barriers, etc) and community needs. Currently the plan has footpaths listed for American River in the following priority order; Tangara Drive, Buick Drive & Redbanks Road.

The project will be phased over multiple stages to reduce the area of disruption to the community and enable the contractor to deliver other priority works in other townships. Work on the footpath along the oval section of Tangara Drive commenced in early September. The remainder of the work is subject to weather conditions and contractor availability with the full project due to be delivered within FY2024/2025.

The resealing work scheduled for the 2024/2025 financial year under the IAMP will require Tangara Drive to be under traffic control for less than 1 day, with detours and local vehicle access available as practical. During the remainder of the works, some parking and pedestrian restrictions and daytime construction noise (within the EPA guidelines) may occur. Council will provide further updates once the construction schedule is finalised.

Fortunately, the nature of the work is expected to be low impact and contained within existing disturbed sites. Council has completed a preliminary environmental and heritage report as well as realigned the footpath around existing trees

This webpage will continue to provide updates as they are available, as well as a variety of targeted meetings, printed media, letter drops to affected residents and social media to advise of traffic restrictions and project timelines.

Some kerbing is proposed to delineate the road intersections with Tangara Drive and provide safer crossing opportunities. The road profile and level change between dwellings along Tangara Drive is quite unique so the design considers different passive stormwater drainage solutions such as swales to flow away from buildings and infrastructure, as well as surface flow that feeds into existing inlet pits and stormwater pipes.

Council is exploring the possibility of reducing the Tangara Drive precinct speed limit to 30 or 40kph, however the power to approve speed limits has not been delegated to any other agency other than the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, who is responsible for approving speed limits on all roads and road-related areas in South Australia, unless within a school zone or other specific crossing types. It is not intended for any major changes to traffic movement, and the resealing work will ensure it meets current road width and line marking standards.