Safer journeys for harvests and holidays

Monday, 2 June 2025

Critical safety upgrades have been completed on Upper Yorke Road in the Yorke Peninsula, making travel safer for locals, grain handlers and holidaymakers.

As part of the national Road Safety Program, shoulder sealing, pavement rehabilitation and safety barriers have been installed on the section of road between Kulpara and Arthurton.

Additionally, the road pavement between Port Broughton and Bute has been resealed and the road shoulders have also been constructed to add further protection for motorists.

Further shoulder sealing is currently being carried out on sections of the road just north and south of Arthurton as part of maintenance work to improve road safety.

Audio Tactile Line Marking will also be installed between Kulpara and Arthurton and between Port Broughton and Bute this year as part of a state-wide scope of works.

These upgrades improve the long-term safety for all drivers, reducing the likelihood of a serious or fatal collision. Truck drivers will also see the benefits with improved freight efficiency.

There were five recorded crashes on this stretch of road between 2019 and 2023, which resulted in one fatality and two serious injuries.

On average, more than 130 vehicles travel between Kulpara and Arthurton each day, and more than 1000 vehicles travel between Port Broughton and Bute each day, with 180 of them being heavy vehicles.

The works on Upper Yorke Road have supported 155 full-time-equivalent jobs over the construction period.

These works are part of a $168 million commitment under the Road Safety Program, equally funded by the Australian and South Australian governments, contributing $84 million each.

More than 300 full time equivalent jobs have been supported across the program, which also forms part of the South Australian Road Safety Action Plan 2024-26.