Commuters to and from South Australia’s north will now have safer and smoother journeys between Port Wakefield and Lochiel. With traffic flowing on dual lanes in both directions of a 29-kilometre stretch, it marks the completion of major works on the Augusta Highway Duplication project.
The Albaneses and Malinauskus governments have jointly committed $185 million to the project.
During the construction, more than one million tonnes of pavement material and almost 40,000 tonnes of asphalt were laid. More than 80 stormwater crossings, 13 culverts, 12 new street lights and nine kilometres of safety barriers were installed.
“Whether you’re driving up north to Port Augusta or heading south towards Adelaide, this duplicated highway will make the journey faster, safer and less stressful,” said South Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Tom Koutsantonis.
“For an extra 29 kilometres, motorists now won’t have to worry about being stuck behind a slower-moving vehicle, removing the risk of a driver trying to overtake in a dangerous manner.”
While the new lanes are opened, final works along the highway and intersections will still require temporary speed limits. Northbound traffic will be restricted to 60km/h for the first week, increasing to 80km/h the following week. The southbound carriageway will remain at 80km/h.
The speed limit will return to 110km/h by late March 2025.
“High-speed, single-lane highways such as the old Augusta Highway stretch are responsible for far too many accidents in South Australia,” said Senator for South Australia, Karen Grogan.
“These upgrades will make a fundamental difference to the safety of drivers on this important route.”
Upon project completion, this section of the highway will reduce travel time while boosting freight productivity and safety for all motorists.