Princes Highway facing closure due to risk of floodwater inundation

A section of the Princes Highway between Tailem Bend and Meningie is at risk of being closed as floodwater threatens to inundate the major road.

The Princes Highway is at risk of floodwater inundation and could soon close, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport has warned.

A section of road between Tailem Bend and Meningie could soon be shut off due to rising water levels and tide and wind conditions. The speed limit has been dropped to 60 km/h.

The Princes Highway is at risk of floodwater inundation and could soon close, the Department for Infrastructure and Transport has warned. Picture: Dylan Hogarth

Water is threatening to inundate the Princes Highway at several low-lying locations adjacent to Lake Albert between Ashville and Waltowa.

“A speed limit of 60km/h is in place to ensure road users can safely navigate this section, however conditions may change quickly and this section of road may need to be closed at short notice,” the Department for Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.

“Road users are urged to pay extra attention to conditions and signs while on this section of Princes Highway, with the current speed restriction also subject to change due to variable water levels.”

Lake Albert starting to cross the Princes Highway at the southern end of the Waltowa Causeway on January 8. Picture: Facebook/Vern Leng

“The department is endeavouring to keep the road open as long as it is safe, with teams undertaking daily assessments of the Princes Highway and other low-lying roads in the region.”

If this section of highway does close, road users would need to detour via the Dukes Highway and McIntosh Way.

Coorong District Council Mayor Paul Simmons said the detours would be in place to ensure Meningie was not cut off.

“The closure is in the area about 10 kilometres north of Meningie and it‘s not uncommon for a bit of water to come through ... this is partially flood, partially wind and the tide,” he said.

Mr Simmons said the volume of trucks carting grain along the route would be higher than usual.

“There‘s a significant portion of farmers still going with their harvest, more so than normal in that particular area at this time of the year so some significant detouring will need to be done,” he said.

Mayor Simmons said any highway closure would cause pain for commuters with the Wellington ferry out of operation and the Tailem Bend ferry likely to stop running any time soon.

The potential highway closure warning comes just days after Premier Peter Malinauskas said the Tailem Bend ferry was at risk of closure “within the next week” due to flood waters impacting road access.