AN EXTRA $212 million will go towards roadworks on the Augusta Highway and the sealing of the Strzelecki Track, as part of the federal budget.
Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey said he is tremendously pleased the Augusta Highway duplication project is to receive another $148m to the accompany the $64m already in the pipeline and pledged at the time of the last election.
"This total of $212m will be enhanced by a 20 per cent contribution from the state," he said.
"With construction of the Port Wakefield overpass already well underway, this allocation should take the duplication through to Lochiel."
Mr Ramsay said they were also looking at the economic benefits of a duplication of the high traffic area between Crystal Brook and Port Pirie.
"Certainly, what will be a total in excess on a quarter of a billion dollars will go a long way," he said.
"The federal government is also committing an extra $64m to the sealing of the Strzelecki Track bringing our commitment to $164m and I expect with the state government contribution that this will go close to completing the works.
"The sealing of the Strez will open up one of the great tourist routes in Australia and with our roads already packed with caravans I expect SA to reap a real dividend.
"It will also bring the Cooper Basin supply chain back to SA and provide the "brucellosis free" cattle producers of SE Qld a chance to access southern markets."
RELATED: Progress on roads speeds up
Mr Ramsey said that the budget will also allocate a further $12m for the upgrades on the main APY Lands access road, top-up funds for the Eyre Highway works underway and $5m for a study to establish a by-pass for "Greater Adelaide", which he would expect to come through the southern portion of the Grey electorate on the Adelaide Plains.
He said the decision to commit more than $1 billion to road works in the Grey electorate was "completely without precedent".
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