The road from the city to Holdfast Bay was originally named the Bay Road. After the
state government was lobbied in 1917 by the ANZAC Memorial League to rename it in honour of the ANZAC troops who fought in
World War I, it was renamed Anzac Highway in 1923, at the same time doing some roadworks. In 1937, the government, in collaboration with the
West Torrens Council,
Unley Council and
Glenelg Council Council agreed on a plan for the future of the road, which was ratified by Parliament by the passing of the
Anzac Highway Memorial Act 1937. The plan included developing a
dual carriageway which included trees on the
central reservation and along the verges, to be maintained by the respective councils.
Claret ash trees were chosen. On 18 September 1918, a
tram line opened from
Sturt Street in the city, via
West Terrace and then down the Bay Road to
Keswick. It was used to transport soldiers returned from
World War I to the military hospital there. Known as the West City Line, it ran down West Terrace and
Goodwood Road, and turned west into Park Terrace, now
Greenhill Road, before turning in to Bay Road. It terminated at the entry to the
Keswick Barracks. After redevelopment of Anzac Highway in the 1930s, the tram line was truncated at the new Keswick Road Bridge in March 1939, at a stop known as Wayville West. In December 1957, this line was closed. The
South Road intersection with Anzac Highway had major construction works in 2007-2009, as part of a South Australian Government initiative to transform South Road into a
non-stop north–south route. Both routes became
grade-separated, with South Road travelling through an underpass, with bi-directional controlled exits onto Anzac Highway. The underpass model is a
diamond interchange. In October 2007, construction began. In March 2009, the underpass was opened, and named the
Gallipoli Underpass, in keeping with the Anzac theme. Each of the four corners of the intersection has a display to commemorate those who fought in the war. ==Major intersections==