Port Wakefield Overpass and Highway Duplication

The Australian and South Australian governments committed $124.5 million ($99.6 million from the Australian Government and $24.9 million from the South Australian Government) for the Port Wakefield Overpass and Highway Duplication Project.

The project will:

• reduce traffic congestion on two important state highways
• improve road safety on one of the State’s key intersections.

Building on work previously undertaken by the South Australian Government, alterations to the previous designs were made to deliver a safe, economic project that benefits both local residents of the Port Wakefield area as well as the wider South Australian community.

Port Wakefield Road typically carries 8,800 vehicles per day, however, this can increase to around 16,000 during holiday peak periods. The Augusta Highway and Copper Coast Highway intersection north of Port Wakefield is one of the State’s busiest regional road intersections being a national and regional link between Adelaide, Port Augusta and the Yorke Peninsula.

Project background

A concept design was released in August 2018. On 28 January 2019, the South Australian Government announced new design options were being considered, resulting in an updated concept design announced in November 2019. This took into account feedback from stakeholders. After further consultation and refinements, the design was finalised in November 2020.

The updated concept design included:

• two lanes in each direction through the Port Wakefield township with provisions for safe U-turn movements
• a realigned dual carriageway through the Port Wakefield township, allowing for increased parking and landscaping opportunities, as well as safer vehicle and pedestrian movements.  This will make it safer to build and reduce disruption to motorists during construction
• a realigned Balaklava Road intersection with the Port Wakefield Highway, allowing for safer turn movements
• new bridges across the Wakefield River
• a new two-lane overpass for traffic travelling southbound from the Copper Coast Highway to Port Wakefield, and for traffic travelling along the Augusta Highway to the Copper Coast Highway
• the new overpass will remove all hazardous at-grade turn movements at the intersection of the Port Wakefield Highway, Copper Coast Highway and Augusta Highway.

Latest news

Visit the PW2PA Alliance for the latest information about the Port Wakefield Overpass and Highway Duplication Project.

PW2PA Alliance

On 1 March 2020, the Australian and South Australian Governments announced the successful tenderer for the major works contract to form the Port Wakefield to Port Augusta (PW2PA) Regional Projects Alliance.

A consortium of CPB Contractors Pty Ltd, Aurecon Pty Ltd and GHD Pty Ltd designed and constructed the Port Wakefield Overpass and Highway Duplication Project as well as the Joy Baluch AM Bridge Duplication Project in Port Augusta.

South Australian company, McMahon Services also delivered key aspects of these important works demonstrating the Government’s ongoing commitment to engage local and small to medium enterprises as part of its record infrastructure program.