‘Unacceptable and a serious safety concern’: Is this South Australia’s most dangerous road?

It has a one-star rating and the state’s peak motoring body estimates it needs at least $16m of urgent upgrades to be safe. So where is this notorious stretch of road?

A notorious stretch of country road has been given a shocking one-star rating, with the state’s peak motoring body saying it requires at least $16m in urgent upgrades to be safe.

The Royal Automobile Association (RAA) has raised concerns for “urgent” safety upgrades to Upper Yorke Rd, an essential route for the Yorke Peninsula’s transport and farming community.

According to a recent safety assessment conducted by RAA, 33km of the 48km stretch from Maitland to Kulpara received an “unacceptable” one-star safety rating.

This section of Upper Yorke Rd was also nominated as South Australia’s third-riskiest regional road in RAA’s 2021 Risky Roads survey, which attracted more than 2,100 nominations.

RAA Senior Traffic Engineer Matthew Vertudaches said the current width is inadequate for two vehicles to pass through the road safely.

“Heavy vehicles have been pulling off the road edge to maintain a safe passing distance between oncoming vehicles, which leads to rock sprays, dust, and a bigger lip on the edge of the road,” he said.

Mayor Darren Braund of the Yorke Peninsula Council said this Arthurton to Kulpara stretch of road is important for the rural communities.

“It is in need of a major upgrade with issues of road alignment and significant undulation,” Mr Braund said.

A Department of Infrastructure and Transport spokesperson said Upper Yorke Rd will be “reviewed under the department’s regular road renewal and road safety processes.”

“No serious crashes have been recorded on this section of the road in the past five years,” the Spokesperson said in a statement.

33km of the 48km stretch of the Upper Yorke Road from Maitland to Kulpara was given 1-star rating by RAA report Picture: Supplied

Sam, a local farmer said, “We avoid using this road when we can. We always drive it with caution, as most do who are living and using the road often. I have a real concern with the state of the road and our kids’ school bus using the road for roughly 10 kilometres and the danger that poses.”.

“Lack of maintenance, cracked sides, rough, skinny and two trucks passing becomes very hard,” Ben, a grain producer said.

This stretch of road was recently voted as the ‘Worst Grain Road in South Australia’ out of 146 entries by the members of Grain Producers SA.

“Grain producers who should be relying on the Upper Yorke Road to transport grain have been forced to go around it because of safety concerns,” Grain Producers SA CEO Brad Perry said.

“I’ve driven the Upper Yorke Rd, Arthurton to Kulpara stretch, with grain producers and there are honestly bike tracks in Adelaide in better condition,” he said.

RAA recommended resealing and widening the road from its current 5.5-metre width to provide 3.3-metre lanes each way and 1-metre sealed shoulders. The assessing body also recommended installing edge lines and hazard protection.