Road safety boost for Barrier Highway

Friday 24 July 2026

These works include culvert upgrades at Winnininnie and Bindarrah to provide a wider road width for heavy vehicles, improving freight movement in the region.

As part of the project, an existing rest area at Bindarrah will also be upgraded, and a new eastbound rest area will be constructed at Winnininnie, enabling drivers to safely stop, manage fatigue, and check their loads.

Each rest area will be able to accommodate four double road trains at a time and will have a new shelter, seating, and bin.

These improvements follow the completion in March 2026 of two key intersection upgrades at Whyte Yarcowie and Yunta, delivering safer, smoother journeys along the 305-kilometre section of highway between Cockburn and Burra.

At Whyte Yarcowie, the intersections of Barrier Highway, Main Road and Whyte Road have been improved with new lighting, pavement, safety barriers, line marking and drainage works, enhancing driving conditions along the key freight and tourism corridor.

These intersections have also been widened, with the construction of dedicated left and right turn lanes from Barrier Highway onto Whyte Road, and a new right turn lane onto Main Road, delivering a major road safety boost for larger heavy vehicles.

In Yunta, the Main Street and Barrier Highway intersection has been widened and reconstructed, supporting more reliable journeys for vehicles travelling to and from pastoral stations, mining production, and exploration areas nearby.

A combined total of more than 1,500 vehicles including approximately 450 heavy vehicles, travel through these two intersections each day.

These upgrades are jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments through the $62.5 million Barrier Highway Corridor Upgrade and the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program. The includes a $50 million commitment from the Australian Government and $12.5 million from the South Australian Government.

These works follow the completion of upgrades in late 2024 along the 61km section of Barrier Highway, between Burra and Riverton.

Quotes attributable to Chief Executive of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Jon Whelan

These intersection upgrades deliver a vital boost to the long-term safety and reliability of the Barrier Highway, between Cockburn and Burra.

Through these improvements, we are supporting better access to and from local roads for communities while also driving regional economic growth.

The culvert upgrades and new and improved rest areas will build on these improvements, supporting safer, more efficient journeys through the State’s mid north.

The intersections of Barrier Highway, Main Road and Whyte Road at Whyte Yarcowie have been improved with new lighting, pavement, safety barriers, line marking and drainage works,

Works are underway on upgrading this culvert at Winnininnie