$100m in much-needed SA road upgrades to start immediately

Some of the most dangerous highways in South Australia are finally in line for some long-awaited upgrades.

Construction work on more than $100 million worth of road upgrades will immediately begin across the state as part of a major road safety initiative.

Horrocks, Riddoch, Eyre and Augusta Highways are among 14 main thoroughfares that will undergo various improvements, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Premier Steven Marshall will announce on Friday.

It comes as Infrastructure Australia added six SA initiatives to its influential 2021 priority list, which sets out important proposals for Government consideration.

The state missed out on having new infrastructure proposals added to the list during its last update in August 2020.

No new SA projects were added to the list.

“Projects” are advanced proposals with full business cases whereas “initiatives” are proposals that have potential but no business case.

Mr McCormack said the $100m in road works, which included shoulder sealing and the installation of rumble strips and barriers, would be completed by June and formed part the national $2 billion Road Safety Program.

$100m worth of road upgrades will begin immediately across SA.

Mr Marshall said the upgrades – jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments – would create jobs and save lives.

“Getting work underway on these projects now means we are delivering safer roads and supporting around 500 local jobs through economic stimulus at a time it is needed most,” he said.

Roads that will be upgraded include the Horrocks Highway, between Templers and Wilmington ($19.9m); the Barrier Highway, between Burra and Cockburn ($18m); the Stuart Highway, between Pimba and north of Coober Pedy ($17.6m) and the Eyre Highway, from the head of The Bight to Ceduna ($9.1m).

The Augusta Highway, between Collinsfield and Redhill, will undergo a $7.5m overhaul and the Riddoch Highway, between Keith and Mount Gambier, will receive $4.5m in improvements.

Meanwhile, the Government said the inclusion of six SA initiatives on the Infrastructure Priority List represented the largest number of new SA proposals to be added to the list in its five-year history.

A plan to reduce congestion on Adelaide’s Outer Ring Route and a proposal to tackle the state’s $750m road maintenance backlog were deemed “high priority” initiatives.

SA Premier Steven Marshall said the upgrades would save lives and create jobs. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

A proposal that would prioritise the duplication of lanes on the SA regional freight network and improve bridge capacities, water security initiatives for the Barossa and Far North, and an Adelaide level crossings project were also listed as a priority.

“We’ve been working hard on planning for major projects and infrastructure upgrades across the state because we know that if the groundwork is laid early, it’s easier to secure funding and get shovels in the ground,” Transport Minister Corey Wingard said.

“The initiatives listed will create jobs, make our roads smoother and safer and will improve freight capacity.”

However, Opposition infrastructure spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said while it was good to get “initiatives” on the list, “they’re nowhere near being funded or beginning work”.

“Those initiatives could be five or ten years away,” he said.

“After the entire life of this Government, not one new priority ‘project’ (has been) on the list.”