![Barrier Highway in line for upgrades Barrier Highway in line for upgrades](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/quinton.mccallum/382164ce-19c9-4caf-b796-2cb20be2406d.jpg/r0_1_1200_676_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
$10 million will be spent on improving a 60 kilometre stretch of the Barrier Highway from Riverton to Burra in the state's Mid North.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
The state government recently announced the $10m investment would form part of its $168m allocation under the federal Road Safety Program.
The upgrades will include shoulder widening and sealing, property access improvements, pavement rehabilitation, and the installation of safety barriers and audio tactile line marking.
The works are expected to begin this month and be completed by March 2025, supporting 50 full time jobs during that period.
SA Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the works underlined the government's ongoing commitment to improving regional road safety and productivity.
"Earlier this year we announced crucial road upgrades for six of our regional roads and today we extend those upgrades to Barrier Highway and Mannum Road," he said.
"We had 117 lives lost on our roads last year and more than half of those were on country roads. Any fatality is one too many, and I am sure these upgrades will help reduce the risk of a serious injury or fatality.
"Investing in regional roads not only enhances safety but also stimulates economic activity which will have long-lasting benefits for local communities."
Safety barriers and audio tactile line marking will be features of $800,000 of works to be done on a 30 kilometre stretch of Mannum Road between Mannum and Murray Bridge.
Those works will be on the same timeline as the Barrier Highway improvements.
"Any death on our roads is one too many and these latest works are another step towards safer regional roads in South Australia, with the goal of significantly reducing the number of road deaths and serious injuries," said federal Infrastructure and Transport Assistant Minister Carol Brown.
"These works will also help improve road safety data and program evaluation, and I thank the South Australian Government for its valuable support on this vital task."