On completion, the three-metre-wide bridge giving access to public transport along St Vincent Street will be owned and maintained by Renewal SA. Image: City of Port Adelaide Enfield/Facebook.
By the end of the year there will be a new 80-metre pedestrian footbridge in Port Adelaide, providing better access for current and future residents of the 650-home planned community on each side.
The $5 million bridge is being jointly funded by Renewal SA and developer Kite Projects. It will link Dock One and the Port Approach so pedestrians and cyclists have better connectivity to the promenade around the perimeter of the dock.
South Australian Planning Minister Nick Champion said the Dock One development precinct needed the appropriate infrastructure to support Port Adelaide’s growing population.
“This footbridge will provide important accessibility in the area, encouraging people to be active in their local community and explore historic Port Adelaide,” Mr Champion said.
“The transformation of the port is a testament to its urban lifestyle and its proximity to the defence industry jobs that are shaping South Australia’s future.”
It’s the latest project to receive planning approval from the State Commission Assessment Panel, as the government steps up critical housing developments for Port Adelaide. The area will play an important role in supporting highly skilled workers flocking to jobs in the nearby defence industry as part of the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine construction effort.
Two stages of the Dock One residential project have already sold out, and Kite Projects has recently settled on a 2.5-hectare allotment on the eastern side to create stage three of the redevelopment.
Fifty-six waterfront townhouses and 84 apartments will be offered in addition to the 110 already completed homes and a further 90 due later this year. Designs are also being made to transform the old Marine and Harbors Building in St Vincent Street into a 100-key hotel with conference rooms, a restaurant, bars and a gym.
Kite Projects managing director Damon Nagel said there was a great sense of excitement and a feeling of momentum around the port, with new bars, cafes and restaurants opening.
“That is translating into sales for the project, which continue to be very strong,” Mr Nagel said. “Projects like the bridge add meaningful amenity for the community.
“It is one of the most talked-about projects in the port and we believe hundreds of people will use this bridge each day.”
Largs North-based BluBuilt has engaged Grieve Gillett Anderson Architects to help design and build the bridge, with site work set to begin in July. Port Adelaide company Maritime Constructions will first pile into the riverbed to create its foundations, while precast works on the bridge’s structure start off-site.
Preliminary discussions on naming the bridge have begun with the local Kaurna community and Port Adelaide Enfield Council.
Local Member and State Defence Minister Susan Close said this infrastructure, coupled with the $51 million Port Dock rail spur, would help people to move around the port with much greater ease and improve the overall amenity of the area.
