State Government pledges $70m to re-instate 110km/h speed limit on key regional roads across South Australia

The State Government says it will make good on an election promise to re-instate quicker speed limits on key country roads.

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The State Government has promised that $70 million of road upgrades will begin within months to restore 110km/h speed limits to a batch of key regional roads.

However, the vast majority of country motorists will have to wait until 2021 before the necessary road improvements are completed.

Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll has outlined to the Sunday Mail when he will honour the Liberals’ pre-election promise to restore speed limits on eight regional roads across South Australia that had been lowered by the Jay Weatherill-led government.

Two of the roads will have speed limits restored by mid-2020, while six others will be restored in 2021.

The move will be seen as a step to repair the relationship between the party and its supporter base in the regions after frustrations over issues including a controversial mining bill.

However, it will also reignite debate over the best ways to curb the road toll where fatal crashes where over-represented in regional South Australia.

The road toll currently stands at 71 compared to 42 at this time last year.

Mr Knoll said the State Government will invest up to $70 million to upgrade these eight country roads to ensure they meet the appropriate safety standards.

“Regional South Australians use these roads every day as they go about their daily lives, so the condition and speed limits on these roads impact them every day,” he said.

“Country roads are crucial to building strong regional communities and growing regional economies. “We’re investing the money necessary to make these roads safer which will enable the speed limit to be returned to 110km/h.” SA Police Traffic Support Branch officer-in-charge Superintendent Bob Gray told the Sunday Mail 70 per cent of the 71 people that have died in SA this year have been on regional roads.

“Over the last 10 years 65 per cent of fatalities have died on regional roads and 67 per cent of those fatalities died in the communities in which they lived,” Supt Gray said.

Last week Premier Steven Marshall asked Prime Minster Scott Morrison to bring forward regional road funding to boost productivity and safety in the regions.

Federal Barker MP Tony Pasin – whose electorates stretches from Morgan in the north to Port Macdonnell in the south, taking in the Murray Mallee, the Riverland, the Murraylands and most of the Barossa Valley – raised concerns the State Government were waiting on federal funding to honour its election promise.

“As a resident of the South East, I want to see these speed limits returned to 110km/h as per the election commitment to do so,” he said.

“While I will always argue for increased funding to improve our road network in Barker, the State Government made an unqualified commitment to reinstate speed limits and they should honour this commitment regardless.”

Mr Knoll said planning and design works will begin next month, with the procurement of works for the Carpenters Rocks Rd upgrade.