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A review of the road and transport network on the Eyre Peninsula is needed to reduce the road maintenance burden on local councils, according to RAA’s latest regional road assessment.
The new RAA report has found key local-government corridors such as Cowell-Kimba Road, Balumbah-Kinnard Road and Bratten Way are suffering due to an increase in heavy vehicle traffic, attributed in part to the closure of rail in 2019 and opening of a new port in the region.
Fixing those key corridors is putting significant pressure on council resources and impacting their ability to maintain the rest of their road network.
Other notable roads displaying major road safety issues such as narrow shoulders, roadside hazards and fatigue cracking included Lincoln Highway, Tod Highway and Iron Knob Road.
As part of the assessment, a survey of more than 1,300 Eyre Peninsula road users found road maintenance was the biggest concern among locals – with the issue raised by 76% of respondents.
To improve transport and road safety in the region, RAA’s report recommends:
RAA Senior Traffic Engineer Matt Vertudaches said a circuit breaker was needed to help local government get on top of road maintenance in the region.
“It’s been five years since the Eyre Peninsula’s rail network was closed, so there is enough evidence now to look at the impact that has had on the road network,” Mr Vertudaches said.
“In that time, we’ve seen increasing grain export from the new Lucky Bay port, and a shift in how and importantly, where grain moves around the region.
“Typically, roads of strategic regional importance fall under the care of State Government, but there are a number of these corridors under the care and control of local councils.
“Despite receiving crucial state and federal funding under the Special Local Roads Program, council contributions to these roads significantly limit the budget available for other crucial road upgrades and maintenance works.
“Since the opening of the Lucky Bay Port and closure of rail lines, the function of several corridors including Cowell-Kimba Rd and Balumbah-Kinnard Rd has changed significantly – they’re now carrying a lot more heavy vehicles, meaning the resources needed for their upkeep have increased.
“RAA believes a holistic review is needed to consider if this could be managed more effectively.
“We know road maintenance is a statewide issue – which is why we’ve been calling for the State Government to commit $250 million per year to get on top of the current $2bn backlog.”
Mr Vertudaches said RAA acknowledged some of the recent upgrades undertaken on the Eyre Highway, the new overtaking lanes on Eyre and Lincoln Highways, and ongoing works to upgrade intersections in Port Lincoln.
“In line with the state’s road safety strategy, programmed road upgrades should seek to upgrade corridors to a minimum AusRAP safety rating of at least three stars, and we welcome the recent announcement of funding for this between Cowell and Tumby Bay along the Lincoln Highway.
“In addition to the ongoing works, RAA would like to see new overtaking lanes on the Lincoln Highway, a widened road surface on Tod and Flinders Highways, and funding committed to duplicate Augusta Highway.”
Between 2018-2022, 395 casualty crashes occurred on the Eyre Peninsula – including 31 fatal crashes and 104 serious injury crashes.
As part of its review last year, RAA’s infrastructure experts travelled more than 4,500km in the region over 10 days, and met with nine of the 11 local councils.
To read the full report visit raa.com.au/roadassessments