Stage 2 – Lower Brown Hill Creek Upgrades

Stage 2 of the project involves upgrading the flow capacity of Lower Brown Hill Creek so it is of sufficient capacity to receive diverted flows from Keswick Creek.

The upgrades are being delivered in 5 work packages with Packages 1-3 due for completion by mid-2025.

Map stage 2 Package 1 Package 2 Package 3 Package 4 Package 5

Lower Brown Hill Creek comprises a 3.3 kilometre-long section of channel extending from the confluence with Keswick Creek at the south-eastern corner of Adelaide Airport at the downstream end to a crossing point at Anzac Highway at the upstream end. The channel is primarily situated within City of West Torrens owned drainage corridor, except for a small portion that runs within privately owned land. The upgrades involve doubling the flow capacity in order to accommodate existing peak stormwater flows from Upper Brown Hill Creek, as well as flows diverted from Keswick Creek under the Stage 3 Keswick Creek Flow Diversions. The existing channel will be replaced with a new 6.8 metre-wide by 1.8 – 2.1 metre-high rectangular shaped concrete channel, and equivalent sized road crossings.

Packages 1-3

The Lower Brown Hill Creek capacity upgrades are divided into 5 work packages and the Board secured $10m in Commonwealth Government funding under the Preparing Australian Communities Program to contribute toward delivery of Packages 1-3 over 3 years. The Commonwealth funding is being matched by funding from Constituent Councils and the Stormwater Management Authority.

Packages 1-3 extend for 1.7 kilometres from Keswick Creek/ Adelaide Airport at the downstream end to Birdwood Terrace at the upstream end. Construction of package 1 commenced late in 2022 and works to Birdwood Terrace are due for completion by mid-2025.

The Scheduling of Packages 1-3 of the Lower Brown Hill Creek Upgrades is shown here.

Works are currently underway to upgrade the section of channel between Harvey Avenue and Birdwood Terrace, which includes the Marion Road Crossing. Marion Road will be subject to partial closure from December 9 2024. Read more about the Marion Road Crossing Upgrade and the associated traffic impacts here.

Packages 4-5

Packages 4 and 5 extend for 1.6 kilometres from Birdwood Terrace at the downstream end to Anzac Highway at the upstream end. Package 4 passes through Grassmere Reserve and extends to South Road while package 5 comprises the portion between South Road and Anzac Highway. The South Road crossing does not require capacity upgrade but will be replaced as part of the North South Corridor Project. These packages are currently scheduled for construction in 2027-2030 and the detailed design process generally commences 12 months ahead of construction.

Daly Street Bridge

Although packages 4 and 5 of the Lower Brown Hill Creek upgrades have not yet commenced, the Daly Street bridge upgrade was completed ahead of schedule in September 2021. Located in Kurralta Park within package 4, the upgrade of this bridge was delivered by City of West Torrens in conjunction with an adjoining road realignment with funding contribution from the Commonwealth Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

Previously, the bridge comprised a corrugated domed tunnel of 3.7 metres in width and 2.3 metres in height. The original bridge was constructed circa 1950 and had one of the lowest capacities of all existing bridges on Brown Hill Creek. The new bridge comprises twin concrete culverts of 4.2 metres in width and 1.8 metres in height with gabion basket transitions at the upstream and downstream ends.