Federal Budget splashes billions on South Australian road projects

Thousands of workers will build kilometres of tunnels for the North-South Corridor, a bypass and other major SA road upgrades to be funded in the budget.

South Australia will receive a multibillion-dollar cash injection for major infrastructure projects across the state, generating more than 5000 jobs, in Tuesday’s Federal Budget.

The Federal Government has allocated $161.4m towards a Truro bypass and $148m for a second stage of the Augusta Highway duplication.

The final part of the North-South Corridor project will also receive a $2.6bn boost. This funding was previously announced in 2019, but the government has now outlined which part of the project it will go towards.

It will pay the planning, design and construction of about 6km of motorway from Darlington to Anzac Highway.

The Heysen Tunnels on the South Eastern Freeway are also in line for work.

The North-South Corridor work will include more than 4km of tunnels.

Construction work on this part of the project is expected to begin in late 2023 and be completed by 2028. About 4000 jobs will be created.

The Truro project will deliver a bypass of the township, east of the Barossa, to improve road safety and productivity of the national road network.

It is expected to create 555 jobs with construction work slated to begin in late 2022 ahead of its anticipated completion in late 2026.

Meanwhile, stage 2 of the Augusta Highway works will duplicate the thoroughfare from Port Wakefield to Lochiel.

Port Wakefield Overpass and Highway Duplication Project. Picture: SA Infrastructure and Transport

It builds on the duplication of sections of the highway between Port Wakefield and Port Augusta.

The funding will also pay for planning work for future duplication works between Port Pirie and Crystal Brook.

The Civil Contractors Association have been calling for an upgrade to the highway, describing it last year as an “absolute disgrace”.

Meanwhile an extra $64m will be allocated to the Strzelecki Track upgrade for sealing works.

This brings the total federal government funding for the project to $164m.

The Gawler Rail Line Electrification project will also get an extra $60m, bringing the Federal Government’s total cash injection for the initiative to $280m.

Other key projects in the Budget include stage 2 of the Heysen Tunnel refit and upgrade ($48m), and an extra $27.6m for the Port Wakefield Overpass and Highway Duplication project.

A road train motor truck on the Strzelecki Track.

The additional funding for the overpass will support the delivery of an enhanced scope of works, including a two-lane overpass in each direction, rather than a single-lane overpass as originally proposed.

Road safety, freight productivity and bushfire resilience will be improved on Kangaroo Island, with the government allocating $32m to an upgrade of Hog Bay Road and the Playford Highway.

More than $22m will also go towards an upgrade of the Marion Road and Sir Donald Bradman Drive intersection.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said these projects would make South Australian roads safer, improve public transport, reduce travel times and support thousands of jobs.

“From continuing upgrades on the North-South Corridor, to delivering the roads needed for the recovery of Kangaroo Island from devastating bushfires – these projects will support more than 5000 direct and indirect jobs across South Australia,” he said.

“Our record funding commitment is creating jobs, boosting business investment, while securing Australia’s COVID recovery.”

SA Senator and Finance Minister, Simon Birmingham, said the massive cash injection wold better connect the state and help South Australians gets home sooner and safer.

“The North-South Corridor is a game-changing infrastructure project for people living across Adelaide, with delivery of the next phase saving time and money for all those travelling to and from Adelaide’s south,” he said.

Originally published as Federal Budget splashes billions on South Australian road projects