Safety upgrades for key freight route on SA’s Limestone Coast

Road safety upgrades are underway on the Southern Ports Highway in the South Australia’s south-east.

The works include shoulder widening, vegetation management, pavement rehabilitation, the installation of safety barriers and rumble strips, and resealing on a 15-kilometre section of the highway, between Robe and Clay Wells Road, Bray.

These works are part of a broader $18.3 million upgrade of Southern Ports Highway.

Between 2020 and 2024, there were eight recorded casualty crashes, including one serious injury crash, on the highway between Kingston and Millicent.

According to SA’s Department of Infrastructure and Transport, the safety upgrades will reduce the likelihood of ‘run-off-road’ crashes and the risk of a serious or fatal collision.

During construction, the section between Robe and Clay Wells Road will remain open at all times. However, speed and lane restrictions will be in place throughout work areas, including when no workers are present on site.

Additionally, further road safety improvements are progressing on the Southern Ports Highway, between Beachport and the Southend Access Road turn-off.

These works include reconstruction of the road surface, which is being undertaken in stages by Wattle Range Council on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport.

These upgrades are expected to be completed in mid-2026.

Both projects are part of a $168 million investment in South Australia under the national Road Safety Program.

These safety upgrades follow the recent completion of a new dedicated left turn lane for vehicles turning off Southern Ports Highway into Southend Access Road, funded under the State Government’s $10 million Regional Road Safety Infrastructure Package.