THE state government has released its Eyre Peninsula Freight Study after securing $100 million from the Federal Government to upgrade the SA section of the Port Augusta to Perth corridor.
In a statement, there government said there would be $25.6m from the $100m allocated to upgrading roads across the lower EP region, including overtaking lanes; road widening and shoulder sealing; and road safety improvements.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll said the government negotiated the $100m road package after GWA and Viterra concluded earlier this year that rail operations were no longer viable on the EP.
"This will ensure the road network is able to cater for the additional road freight movements we will see as a result of GWA and Viterra's decision to no longer utilise the rail network," he said.
"It's important to remember that 60 per cent to 70pc of grain is being hauled by road on the EP.
"The way grain is transported around EP is continuing to change with the establishment of the T-Ports facility at Lucky Bay which will start receiving grain for the 2019 harvest.
"There are also grain port proposals for Cape Hardy, Port Spencer and Decres Bay.
"All of these ports and proposals for future grain ports will further reduce future rail freight volumes, making the rail network even more unviable."
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Member for Flinders Peter Treloar welcomed the significant investment in EP road infrastructure.
"It's great that we now have certainty about how grain will be moving across our region following the decision by GWA and Viterra to cease using the rail network," he said.
"I have been working closely with Rowan Ramsey and Minister Knoll to help secure this funding for our roads and I'm looking forward to keeping the community informed about how and when we will be upgrading these roads."
