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RAA is asking motorists to reconsider their daily commutes as traffic restrictions begin this week ahead of the Valo Adelaide 500.
Several major roads east of the CBD will be closed for the next fortnight, beginning with Wakefield Road which will be closed from 6am Friday, causing many more to be impacted by delays including Payneham Road, Magill Road, Kensington Road and Greenhill Road.
RAA Senior Manager Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain said motorists who travel into the city for work should consider taking alternative transport or working from home if they can.
“With the Adelaide 500 returning for the first time in almost two years, it’s likely some motorists will get caught out by long delays tomorrow morning if they aren’t prepared for road closures,” he said.
“To reduce congestion, commuters who head east-west in the morning should consider leaving their car at home while the restrictions are in place – whether that means taking public transport, cycling, walking or simply working from home.
“Less cars on the road will make a big difference.”
Mr Mountain said RAA is advising anyone who does need to drive through the area to allow at least an extra 20 minutes for their journey, and potentially more at peak periods.
He also said RAA would be monitoring the impacts of the road closures and providing further advice on alternate routes in the coming days.
“An RAA survey in 2018 showed Tuesday and Wednesday were the worst days for congestion when the race restrictions were in place, when travel speeds fell below 15km/hr for more than 50 sections of road heading into the city.
“Because we haven’t seen how the race being held at this time of year affects the road network, we will be conducting similar research for the first few days of restrictions in order to advise which roads and routes are being most impacted.”
Mr Mountain said drivers should also be aware of a likely increase in retail shoppers heading into the city over the next few days for the annual Black Friday sales.
This year’s key road closures will include:
| Wakefield Road | 25 Nov – 8 Dec |
| Dequetteville Terrace | 26 Nov – 6 Dec |
| Bartels Road | 26 Nov – 6 Dec |
| Hutt Street (Bartels/Pirie to Wakefield) | 26 Nov – 6 Dec |
| Fullarton Road (contra-flow for northbound with speed restrictions near Britannia Roundabout) | 26 Nov – 6 Dec |
For a full list of road closures visit https://adelaide500.com.au/event_info/community-information