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A key tourist and freight region of the state has been put to the test by RAA’s road safety experts.
And the Murraylands Regional Road Assessment report has made several recommendations regarding improvements to the road network, public transport and tourist facilities.
The report released this week has also highlighted the need for a dedicated road network maintenance fund and improvements to the state’s key freight routes.
RAA’s investigation into the Murraylands road network – which includes the Sturt and Dukes highways – has revealed road maintenance is the biggest issue facing motorists.
These findings highlight RAA’s call for the establishment of a dedicated $600 million road maintenance fund to address the backlog of maintenance across the state’s road network.
RAA road safety spokesman Charles Mountain said the Murraylands Regional Road Assessment is the latest regional report demonstrating the of a need for sustained investment in the state’s road network – including maintenance and upgrades of key corridors and intersections.
“As part of our assessment we survey local road users, with road maintenance receiving the highest number of nominations (46%) as the top transport issue in the region,’’ Mr Mountain said.
“Nearly half of respondents (45%) were worried about unsafe overtaking and almost a third (31%) were concerned about speed limits being applied inconsistently.’’
Mr Mountain said the survey also showed strong support (67%) for the $202m Truro Bypass project, which will construct a bypass of the Truro township along with upgrades to the Sturt Highway to reduce freight traffic volumes on the South Eastern Freeway down track.
Mr Mountain said the report made several recommendations based on the survey, feedback from local councils and stakeholders and on-site inspections by RAA traffic engineers.
“Our report recommends upgrading the regional north-south freight route to accommodate heavy vehicles, which includes upgrades of key roads and intersections, including Mannum Road, and the implementation of a Murray Bridge bypass.
“Other upgrade recommendations include duplication of the Swanport Bridge and priority sections of the Dukes and Sturt highways as part of a commitment to duplicate these highways by 2050.’’
The Murrayland’s assessment also made the following recommendations;
Public Transport
Review current bus services and pricing between Murray Bridge and Adelaide to provide improved continuity and connectivity with metro Adelaide ticketing and services
Tourism
Promote more sustainable tourism by using recycling bins, solar light and electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of progressive township improvements.
Overtaking lanes
Install overtaking lanes on high-volume roads and in locations where overtaking opportunities are highly restricted, leading to dangerous driver behaviour, including on Mannum Road (2+), Princes Highway (2-4), Mallee Highway (4-8), and Randell Road (2).
Road maintenance
Widen narrow lanes and bridges, and seal shoulders to provide improved road safety, heavy vehicle safety, productivity on corridors.
For a copy of the report visit Road assessments (raa.com.au)