The federal government has confirmed traffic is now flowing on dual lanes in both directions of South Australia’s Augusta Highway following the completion of the duplication project.
The finished works means the key freight route will have dual lanes in both directions of a 29km stretch between Port Wakefield and Lochiel.
Truck drivers can now easily travel towards Lochiel along two new northbound lanes, while existing lanes reverting to southbound-only traffic are open towards Port Wakefield.
On average, more than 3,600 vehicles use this highway section each day, with 1,100 of them being heavy vehicles. On public holidays and long weekends, this figure nearly doubles.
“It has been an enormous effort from all involved to have these crucial upgrades completed ahead of a busy Easter holidays,” federal transport minister Catherine King says.
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“During holiday periods this road can expect up to 6000 vehicles a day, taking families to and from their vacation spots. Each one of them will be a safer drive, thanks to these crucial upgrades.”
The construction of the dual lanes saw more than one million tonnes of pavement material and almost 40,000 tonnes of asphalt laid, with more than 80 stormwater crossings, 13 culverts, 12 new street lights and nine kilometres of safety barriers installed in the process.
While the lanes are open, final works means temporary speed limits of 60km/h on northbound traffic will be in place for the first week, before both directions will remain at 80km/h.
The speed limit is set to return to 110km/h later this month, in time for the Easter holidays.
“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,” South Australian transport minister Tom Koutsantonis says.
“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.
“As finishing works get underway, I urge all drivers to adhere to the speed limits to keep themselves and others safe.
“We know continued road works can be frustrating but I thank all drivers for their continued patience during this period.”
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