Dual lanes have now opened in both directions along this busy section of the Augusta Highway in South Australia.
Traffic is now flowing in both directions of a 29 kilometre stretch between Port Wakefield and Lochiel, which sees high heavy vehicle traffic.
On average, over 3600 vehicles travel on this section of highway each day with 1100 of them being heavy vehicles – however on public holidays and long weekends, that figure nearly doubles.
This marks the completion of major works on the Augusta Highway Duplication Project.
The federal and state governments have jointly committed $185 million to the Augusta Highway Duplication project, with the federal government committing $148 million.
Motorists can now travel towards Lochiel along the two new northbound lanes, with existing lanes reverting to southbound-only traffic towards Port Wakefield.
Commenting on the opening of the new lanes, South Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Tom Koutsantonis said, “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.
“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.”
Senator for South Australia, Karen Grogan added, “High speed, single lane highways such as the old Augusta Highway stretch are responsible for far too many accidents in South Australia.
“These upgrades will make a fundamental difference to the safety of drivers on this important route.”
During construction, more than one million tonnes of pavement material and almost 40,000 tonnes of asphalt were laid. Over 80 stormwater crossings, 13 culverts, 12 new street lights and nine kilometres of safety barrier were also installed.
Though the new lanes are open, final works along the highway and at intersections will require temporary speed limits. Northbound traffic will be restricted to 60km/h for the first week, increasing to 80km/h the following week, while the southbound carriageway will remain at 80km/h.
Signage will guide motorists through the changes, including new right-hand turns onto the highway. The speed limit will return to 110km/h by late March 2025, just in time for the Easter holidays.
Upon project completion, this section of the highway will reduce travel time and congestion while boosting freight productivity and road safety for all motorists.