Community information sessions on the future of Victor Harbor’s iconic causeway to Granite Island will be held on Monday 9 December.

Anyone interested in the proposed new causeway design has been invited to drop in to the Victor Harbor Bowling Club between noon and 2pm or between 5pm and 7pm to see the plans and have their say.

Lack of maintenance of the 150-year-old causeway has been cause for concern among locals for many years.

Its deterioration triggered suspension of the horse-drawn tram service to the island for the first half of 2019 due to safety issues.

The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) made temporary repairs in June, allowing the service to resume.

However the causeway has since been closed to all vehicles and pedestrians on several occasions due to DPTI’s operational control procedure, which requires closure of the causeway once winds reach 50km/h to ensure public safety.

The iconic landmark has considerable heritage value and is the only link between the island and the mainland. As a major tourist attraction it is important to the local economy.

The 2019-20 state budget committed an initial $20 million towards redevelopment of the causeway. 

In August, the state government announced a new causeway would be built alongside the existing one, releasing the design for public consultation.

A new alignment would keep the heritage causeway temporarily available for community use while the new build takes place.

The total project cost will be finalised through its design phase, with the state government expecting construction to start in mid 2020 and to be completed by late 2021.

For more information visit the DPTI website.