South Australia’s worst pothole hotspots mapped as driver complaints rise
The Adelaide Hills is just one of the regions at the top of the list as complaints from motorists rise. See the map.
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South Australian drivers are dealing with “unsafe and disgusting” road conditions, as more than 100 potholes are being reported every month across the state.
Exclusive figures obtained by The Advertiser reveal the poor condition of SA roads, with the Fleurieu Peninsula, towns on the Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills some of the worst for pothole concerns.
Snap Send Solve – an app in which people can log reports about issues like road damage and rubbish dumping with councils – has identified the extent of the problem, with 5873 potholes reported since the beginning of 2020.
Adelaide resident Arthur Mangos said he regularly pulled over to snap and report pothole damage and that the condition of many SA roads was “unsafe and disgusting”.
He said in some places there was “more damage than road”.
“There is so bloody many, it’s shocking,” he said.
“I’ve reported a pothole on Greenhill Rd, near King William Rd, about four times, but I almost don’t know why I bother with Marion Rd or Morphett Rd, there’s just so many potholes and cracks.
“And it’s not just the city, there’s one on Norman Rd, just off Main South Rd to Silver Sands beach that’s just huge.”
Mr Mangos said Snap Send Solve fortunately prompted fast action to reports, “otherwise I’d be getting out there with a shovel myself”.
A total of 885 potholes had been reported in SA between January and May 2025, monthly trends indicating there would be approximately 1700-1750 reports by the end of the year.
The number of reported potholes has been on a sharp incline since 2020, with complaints increasing in their hundreds each year.
Complainants reported 535 South Australian potholes in 2021, which by 2023 had jumped to 1513.
The responsibility for road maintenance in South Australia is shared between local councils, who fix smaller residential roads, and the state, which is typically responsible for main thoroughfares.
A Department for Infrastructure and Transport spokesman said more than $164m was spent in the 2023-24 financial year on road maintenance.
This included repairing road surfaces, sealing cracks, managing vegetation, installing new signage, safety treatments and ensuring adequate drainage.
“The 2024-25 State Budget announced additional funding of $5 million in 2025-26, increasing to $20 million per annum ongoing from 2027-28 to deliver more road safety upgrades and repairs,” they said.
“The Department has also incorporated new state-of-the-art technology to help assess the condition of more than 13,000 kilometres of road network faster.
“On top of this, the Department’s maintenance contractors closely monitor the road network and conduct regular fortnightly inspections to identify issues and conduct repairs.”
RAA Road Safety Senior Manager Charles Mountain said despite state investment, SA had a $2bn road maintenance backlog, amounting to 2500km of roads with potholes, crumbling shoulders and cracks.
“RAA has been calling for $1bn over four years to rein in the maintenance backlog in our recent State Budget submissions,” he said.
“While there was a small increase in road safety maintenance funding in this year’s budget, it still falls well short of what’s needed to reduce the backlog. That means the condition of many of our roads will continue to deteriorate.
“RAA regularly conducts road assessments and engages with some of our 830,000 members to hear about their concerns, and road maintenance is consistently the top issue raised with us, especially in regional areas.
“Maintenance concerns continue to be raised by drivers who travel along Victor Harbor Road, Black Top Road (One Tree Hill), Womma Road and Marion Road.”
Mr Mountain said the RAA would continue to advocate for increased state road maintenance funding, “before the problem gets even worse”.
Snap Send Solve app founder Danny Gorog said potholes were more than just a nuisance and were a “real safety hazard” for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
He said by using the app to report issues like potholes to authorities it helped to speed up action and “keep people safe”.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in pothole reports across South Australia this year. It’s clear that people care about the condition of their roads, and Snap Send Solve is bridging the gap between communities and local councils,” Mr Gorog said.
“Potholes can form overnight, and councils can’t be everywhere at once. Our platform ensures authorities are alerted quickly so they can prioritise repairs where they’re needed most.
“Snap Send Solve puts the power in the hands of South Australians. By making it easy to report potholes with just a few taps, we’re helping residents play a direct role in improving their streets and neighbourhoods.”
Mr Mangos said when it came to road safety, “there’s no good whinging about it on Facebook”.
“You’ve got to do everything you can to try and get these things fixed, because if it doesn’t and you go over one your suspension could go, or you’d get hurt,” he said.
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Originally published as South Australia’s worst pothole hotspots mapped as driver complaints rise
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