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Hindley Street Is About to Get a $50 Million New Look
A major change is coming to one of Adelaide’s most iconic strips, with plans that could make your next West End dinner, drinks or night out look rather different.
Adelaide’s famously buzzy Hindley Street strip in line for a proposed $50 million transformation, with the State Government and City of Adelaide unveiling plans to make the street greener, more pedestrian-friendly and better suited to the food, drink and entertainment scene that keeps drawing us to the west end.
For a street where dinner can easily turn into drinks, a live gig and one more stop before heading home, the idea is to make moving between it all a little easier. More space will be created for pedestrians to wander, gather and linger, while restaurants and venues will have greater opportunity to spill outdoors.
But the biggest change will see Hindley Street become one-way, with traffic travelling east to west.
There’s a visual refresh in the works, too. Larger planting areas, more trees and better conditions for greenery will bring shade and softness to the streetscape, alongside new paving and street furniture.
Lighting will also be renewed, with opportunities for feature lighting, public art and event infrastructure to add a little more atmosphere after dark.
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The design is currently around 70 per cent complete, with details including parking, loading, materials, lighting and construction staging still being refined. Another round of community consultation will also take place before the plans are finalised, with construction expected to begin in 2028.
So, while the Hindley Street we know isn’t going anywhere, its next chapter could look considerably greener, roomier and more inviting.
Where: Hindley Street, Adelaide (King William Street to Morphett Street)
When: Construction expected to start 2028
Need To Know: Hindley Street will run westbound only under the new one-way arrangement. A further round of community consultation will take place before the design is finalised.
Hindley Street Upgrade Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Consultation to date has included benchmarking and research from February to June 2021, vision and design principles work from March to April 2022, and draft concept design consultation from April to June 2024. A further round of community consultation is planned before the design is finalised, giving residents and businesses another opportunity to weigh in on details still being refined, including parking, loading, materials and construction staging.
Supporting local businesses throughout construction is a key consideration in the project’s delivery planning. Detailed construction methodology and staging will be developed as procurement progresses, working with the appointed contractor and informed directly by local businesses and stakeholders. Planning will account for shopfront access, deliveries, waste collection, pedestrian movement, peak trading periods, major events and noise. The project team will continue working with individual businesses before and during construction to understand and accommodate specific access and servicing needs where practicable.
Yes, on-street parking and loading will remain part of the Hindley Street design, though the arrangement will change to free up more street space for wider footpaths, greening and other public realm improvements. Parking, accessible parking and loading areas will be located in selected parts of the street rather than along its full length. Final numbers and locations for these spaces will be confirmed as the design is completed, so exact details are not yet available.
The most significant change is Hindley Street becoming one-way, with traffic travelling east to west. The upgrade will also widen footpaths, create more outdoor dining space, add larger planting areas and new trees, and refresh lighting and street furniture along the strip.
Construction timing has not yet been locked in. The design for the Hindley Street upgrade is currently around 70 per cent complete, with details including parking, loading, materials and construction staging still being finalised. A further round of community consultation will take place before the plans are confirmed. Once a firm construction date is set, this will be a public announcement from the State Government and City of Adelaide.
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