Key milestone reached in Jetty Road upgrade

An exciting milestone in the Transforming Jetty Road Glenelg project will be reached today, when Jetty Road reopens to all traffic and on-street parking returns.

Thanks to the accelerated construction schedule, which started in August 2025, footpaths in the western end of Jetty Road have been rebuilt and significantly widened, providing more space for pedestrians and outdoor dining while improving accessibility.

Traffic will be able to access Jetty Road, east of Durham Street, including to and from Moseley Street, as well as all other side streets from 5pm on Friday 19 December 2025.

Buses that were temporarily diverted along High Street will return to servicing Jetty Road.

Traffic lights have been installed at the Jetty Road / Moseley Street intersection, which will provide pedestrians and vehicles designated crossing times at one of the busiest intersections in the precinct. The programming and sequencing of the traffic lights will occur early next year, ready for the reopening of Colley Terrace to traffic in early 2026.

Increased pedestrian safety and accessibility was a key outcome from the Transforming Jetty Road community consultation held earlier this year.

The past 137 days of intensive construction work has resulted in:

• 1726 tonnes of asphalt placed
• 2348 square metres of pavers laid, using 76,654 individual pavers, which is 20,356 more pavers than the 56,298 people who were at Adelaide Oval for the first day of the third Test
• 1684 metres of concrete kerbing and edging constructed which is approximately the distance of walking two laps around the Adelaide Oval
• 31 new uplights installed
• 1204 new plants and trees planted in new garden beds
• 20 new pieces of street furniture added
• 146 metres of stormwater pipe installed
• 364 metres of grated channel installed
• 217 utilities’ service pits (e.g. electricity, NBN) adjusted to be level with the newly paved footpaths
• 3.5 kilometres of conduit installed under the roadway, which is a protective tube that allows cables to be threaded inside of it. It is used for electrical, fibre and CCTV cables.
• An average of 83 workers on site per day throughout the week
• 68,945 construction hours worked on site (up to 17 December 2025)

While the Colley Terrace corner remains closed to traffic for now, the large space will be used for outdoor dining, entertainment and more public space over the Christmas and New Year period starting on Friday evening, 19 December 2025.

Artificial turf will be temporarily laid over the concrete slab, while it cures before it is paved in the new year.

Brightly coloured tables and chairs will be brought into the space, which will be used by nearby traders for additional dining. Buskers are also lined up to entertain people over the two-week holiday period.

Paving across the Colley Terrace corner will resume in the first week of January 2026 with the corner expected to reopen to traffic early next year.

Small areas of construction will continue along Jetty Road and into the side streets through the first half of 2026.

The Transforming Jetty Road Glenelg project is due for completion in the second half of 2026, which is almost 18 months earlier than first anticipated.

The construction schedule was accelerated during the State Government’s six-month Tram Grade Separation Project.

With the tram temporarily suspended, Council undertook all the work required in the roadway and tram corridor in the western end of Jetty Road, which included stormwater upgrades and additions to existing stormwater infrastructure as well as common service trenches, reinstating the roadway and asphalting.

The $40 million investment was boosted by a funding commitment of $10 million by the Australian Government.

“This once in a lifetime project has been a long time coming and we thank the Australian Government for investing $10 million into our iconic destination that is loved by all South Australians,” Holdfast Bay Mayor Amanda Wilson said.

All day free parking will continue to be offered in the Partridge Street east car park, which is just a few minutes’ walk from Jetty Road, until the end of January 2026.

Free 1 and 2 hour on-street parking spaces on Jetty Road and side streets through the precinct have been extended to three hours free parking, which will also remain in place until the end of January 2026.