The South Australian government has announced that two key junctions on the Barrier Highway, at Whyte Yarcowie and Yunta are set for an upgrade.
At Whyte Yarcowie, the junction of Barrier Highway and Whyte Road will receive new lighting, safety barriers, and the road will be reconstructed, widened and spray sealed to allow larger heavy vehicles to turn onto Whyte Road from the highway.
In Yunta, the Main Street and Barrier Highway junction will also be reconstructed, widened and spray sealed to improve conditions for heavy vehicles travelling to and from pastoral stations and mining production and exploration areas near Yunta.
A new rest area will also be built, at Winnininnie, and the existing rest area at Bindarrah will be upgraded, enabling drivers the opportunity to pull over and take a break with new shelter and picnic tables.
The project has received $1,696,800 in funding through the Australian Government’s Heavy Vehicle Rest Area initiative under the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program.
Two culverts at Winnininnie and one at Bindarrah will also be upgraded to prevent flooding and road damage while also accommodating the movement of larger heavy vehicles.
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, with the Australian Government committing $50 million and the South Australian Government $12.5 million.
Early works including service relocations are complete and major construction is expected to be completed by mid-2026.