The South Australian Government has announced that a series of safety treatments across the state’s roads will begin in April as part of the recently approved $168 million investment in South Australia under the Federal Government’s Road Safety Program.
The projects are designed to improve safety, support regional economic growth and reduce the risk of crashes causing death or serious injuries.
The upgrades will include shoulder sealing, curve widening, safety barrier installation, hazard removal and Audio Tactile Line Marking (ATLM).
Regions covered include the Yorke Peninsula, Murraylands, Mid North, Eyre Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula.
The funding includes upgrades for two sections of Upper Yorke Road, between Kulpara and Arthurton (35km section) and from Port Broughton to Bute (25km section).
Upper Yorke Road is a key route for heavy vehicles, especially during harvest season, and the proposed upgrades are expected to improve safety for the many truck drivers and residents in the Yorke Peninsula who use this road daily.
There will also be improvement works along RM Williams Way between Jamestown and Spalding, as well as the Mallee Highway between Tailem Bend and Geranium.
The 65km section of the Mallee Highway is a key transport link between Adelaide, Melbourne and the Murraylands agricultural region.
Works on Upper Yorke Road and RM Williams Way are expected to begin in May while works on the Mallee Highway are set to start in April, with all works due to be completed in 2025.
Further South Australia works to begin in 2024 under the Road Safety Program include:
- Thiele Highway (Kapunda to Eudunda)
- Main South Road (Sellicks Beach to Second Valley)
- Lincoln Highway (Whyalla to Cowell)
- Lincoln Highway (Cowell to Lipson)
- Lincoln Highway (Lipson to Tumby Bay)
The program of works will support approximately 305 full-time equivalent jobs over the construction period.
The $168 million investment under the national Road Safety Program is equally funded by the Australian and South Australian governments, each contributing $84 million.
The Road Safety Program also invests in infrastructure that improves safety of people walking and riding including new crossings, safety upgrades at existing intersections and improvements to strategic walkways.