Clare's quarrier and transporter SC Heinrich & Co have won the contract to supply quartz gravel for the first stage of the Port Wakefield to Port Augusta Duplication work, which will duplicate the Augusta Highway from Port Wakefield to Lochiel.
The Quarry will be built into Bald Hill by Boundary Creek from Wokurna
Road, in the Barunga Range, and noise and transportation will impact at least four surrounding homesteads, when the project begins in 2022.
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In Jul 2020, The Civil Contractors Federation of SA backed a call from Labor leader Peter Malinauskas to push for a duplication of the two-lane stretch of the Augusta Highway between Port Wakefield and Port Augusta.
Since 2015, that section of road has had close to 400 traffic accidents, resulting in 30 fatalities.
"The road between Port Wakefield and Port Augusta is an absolute disgrace for a national highway, and well below the standard you expect in a first world economy," CCFSA chief executive officer Phil Sutherland said.
"It beggars belief that this section of National Highway A1 - also called the Augusta Highway - remains in such a dilapidated state, given its crucial link to the national road system."
Mr Sutherland said as well as the public safety concerns, improvements to the road would also help regional SA to grow.
Since then a funding commitment of $250 million has been made to upgrade infrastructure at locations along the Princes Highway Corridor in South Australia.
The Australian Government is providing up to $64 million towards this project, from within the $200 million Princes Highway Corridor funding allocation.
The South Australian Government will provide $16 million to the project.
Timetable: Construction commenced in October 2020 and is expected to be completed by mid 2022.
This project will duplicate the Augusta Highway from Port Wakefield to Lochiel, to improve safety and travel times, and
will build on existing investments to duplicate priority sections of the highway from Port Wakefield to Port Augusta.
The project will also include planning for future duplication works between Port Pirie and Crystal Brook.
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