Potholes and patchwork: These are some of SA’s most complained about and dangerous roads

A driver damaged a disc in their back on one road, another has potholes deep enough to “swallow a child”. Are these the state’s worst roads? Search the map.

Whether it’s potholes “deep enough to swallow a child”, or patchwork jobs that make a road so bumpy a driver damages their back, there’s plenty to complain about on SA roads... But are these the worst?

In South Australia, road fatalities currently sit at 34 this year, and though inattention, phone usage and driving under the influence all play a part, more than 200 people have voiced their concerns that the problem is actually in the road infrastructure.

Roads across the state have come under scrutiny with drivers reporting their biggest road woes on the state Liberal Party run website - Report Your Road.

A road with one of the most reports, the Sturt Hwy in the Riverland where 40 people have lost their lives since 2019, came under heavy scrutiny in a scathing passenger’s note on the site.

Road surface and overtaking lanes have been raised as major concerns on the Sturt Hwy. This near miss at Annadale, shows a truck nearly colliding head on with a car travelling at 110km/h in January. Picture: Facebook

“Coming back from Sydney in a prime mover tanker, sitting in passenger seat we hit bad road and I have actually done a disc in my back badly and can hardly walk or sit due to the Sturt Hwy’s badly maintained surface,” they wrote.

A driver on the nearby Old Sturt Hwy, which also received a number of reports, said “potholes are deep enough to swallow a child or anyone on a motorbike”.

Another road well known for its poor surface, Inman Valley Rd in the Fleurieu Peninsula, was labelled a “disgrace” by one driver who had to stop taking his wife to the oncologist in Victor Harbor because she could not tolerate the pain generated by the road.

Jill and Ian Williams view the uneven road outside their property on Inman Valley Rd, Inman Valley (near Hancock Rd intersection). Picture: Emma Brasier

Jill Williams echoed the sentiment, having lived in the Inman Valley since the 1940s, noting the road’s base had “never been redone”.

“It is scary, it’s really, really rough, but also the speed limit, whether people take note of what’s signed I just don’t know,” she said.

“Not far from my house there was a big hole that developed in the bitumen and there were just no warning signs; someone on a motorbike could’ve easily had a very, very bad accident.”

Uneven road surfaces on Inman Valley Rd cause major concerns for drivers. Picture: Emma Brasier

A $740k project was recently undertaken on the road, reconstructing a 92-metre long retaining wall, repairing a slump in the road pavement, and increasing road safety measures, but Ms Williams said more needed to be done to make the road safe.

Another road in the region, known for its poor surface and high fatalities is the Victor Harbor Rd.
Between 2019 and 2024 there were 13 lives lost on the southern road.

Since 2020, the Traffic Management Centre has received nearly 300,000 calls to road infrastructure damage, operational issues, and vehicle crashes.

Asphalt works, bitumen maintenance, burst water mains, drainage, excavation works, fencing issues, light pole replacements, vegetation removal, paving, painting and sign installations, are among the biggest reported road issues, a DIT spokesperson said.

Shadow Infrastructure and Transport Minister Ben Hood said a “long-term” plan to tackle the “growing road maintenance backlog” was needed.

“Everyone deserves safer roads — no matter where they live,” he said.

Originally published as Potholes and patchwork: These are some of SA’s most complained about and dangerous roads