Wakefield Council Mayor James Maitland says Port Wakefield would benefit from a highway bypass.

An arterial road that would divert most traffic around Port Wakefield is part of the South Australian Government’s new transport plan.

The coastal town is a popular rest stop for travellers.

Councillor Maitland says the idea has been around for more than a decade and while some businesses would be affected, it could potentially unlock development in the surrounding area.

“The major issue is since it was first mooted there’s been approaches for development out on the eastern side of the current road but our approval of them has been limited because we’ve always presumed this bypass would occur but we didn’t know where it was going to go,” he said.

“Some research was done years ago as to how many people stopped in at those service stations etcetera had actually been into the actual town of Port Wakefield and 98 per cent had never been off the highway.

“Whether there would still be a big enough flow through to the Yorke Peninsula traffic to maintain those businesses or whether a new branch would need to be established on the bypass road.”

The Transport Department says it will consult the community extensively before deciding on a final plan.

The State Government has made the bypass a medium priority, to be built sometime in the next five to 15 years.