Making Berhampore brighter, safer and more inviting

Three bright new murals and some cool landscaping features are already bringing creativity and colour to Berhampore shopping centre. Now work is getting under way to add to the village vibe by making things safer and more pedestrian-friendly.

Render of the Berhampore raised crossed — Render of the Berhampore changes

For several years the community has been asking for changes to encourage safer speeds and reinforce the existing 30km/h speed limit, with the goal of making the heart of the suburb a safer, more pleasant place to spend time.

The desire to make things better for pedestrians and for safer speeds came through strongly during community workshops in 2019 and again in 2022. Changes being made over the next couple of months will help achieve those goals.

Contractor JFC will be in the village from this week, putting in two raised crossings south and north of the village. These will be safer for pedestrians but also designed to a height and gradient that will be comfortable for passengers in buses to travel over.

A new citybound bus stop will also be developed in the shopping centre. When the work is complete, this new bus stop will give passengers more options for which bus they catch. The northbound number 1 bus route and the 32x express service currently use different stops. This new stop will combine and replace those stops.

Painted murals on steps outside a bar. — Mural work in Berhampore

The Council has worked closely with Metlink on this plan to give more passengers more choice, as well as the design of the street changes and crossings in this area.

Work will be completed in sections starting near the intersection of Adelaide Road, Herald and Britomart Street to minimise disruption as much as possible. Weather permitting, the street changes will take about eight to 10 weeks.

Our contractors will be doing what they can to provide convenient car parking options for customers who need it during construction, including making new P60 parking in Herald Street available from this week on. Bike parking is also available.

During construction, shops and cafes will be open as usual and people will be able to get to all local businesses. By buying something – even a small purchase – from any of the participating Berhampore shops or businesses during the construction period, shoppers have the option to go into a draw to win one of two $50 vouchers to spend at that business.

render of Berhampore raised crossed raising — Render of the raised crossings in Berhampore

If you are travelling through Berhampore during the day, please allow a little extra time as the traffic signals at both ends of the village will be replaced by stop/go traffic management, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. Traffic will be down to one lane around the work site and delays are possible.

The work includes excavating and installing some new stormwater pipes, drains and connections. To do this, the crew need to uncover and carefully work around existing underground services. The hydro-vac equipment needed to do this, and other machinery, will be noisy at times. Hydro excavation is the best way to protect underground services. It uses pressurised water to break up soil, which is then vacuumed up.

For more information about street changes along the route between the north end of Island Bay and Newtown, visit the transport page.