RAA is advocating for the state’s billion-dollar road maintenance backlog to be addressed, highlighting the Adelaide-Victor Harbor Road as needing urgent attention.

It says further upgrades to key metropolitan and regional roads and intersections would bust congestion and improve road safety.

The state’s largest membership-based organisation has listed key infrastructure priorities, including:

• A $600 million road maintenance fund, to address the road maintenance backlog.
• Duplication of the National Highway network in SA – Augusta, Sturt and Dukes Highway by 2050.
• Metropolitan road upgrades, improving northern suburbs east-west links and building a third arrester bed at the end of the South Eastern Freeway.
• Regional road upgrades, including Victor Harbor Road and Mallee Highway.
• $10 million annual investment in the State Bicycle Fund.

RAA Chief Executive Officer Nick Reade says while new infrastructure projects are crucial to grow our state, we can’t afford to ignore much needed upgrades to our existing road network.

“South Australia’s road maintenance backlog is set to top $1 billion in the next few years,” he says.

“That amounts to thousands of kilometres of our road network in need of repair which compromises road safety and productivity.

“The State Government has made some significant inroads repairing our regional road network in particular.

“We’re pleased to see the current state government continue to work on the Eyre, Augusta and Sturt Highways, as well as Main South Road.

“RAA would like to see this good momentum continue with a $600 million four-year road maintenance fund to get on top of the mountain of maintenance and start clearing the backlog.

“It’s critical for money to be budgeted to keep our roads in good condition – otherwise they become a safety risk.

“If we let our roads fill with potholes or the shoulders of regional roads crumble, it makes them far less safe and could put lives at risk.”

Mr Reade says the Torrens to Darlington project will absorb a lot the state’s infrastructure funding over the next decade or so, but it can’t be allowed to overshadow other needs, particularly regional road safety.