Major works are progressing on new rest areas and culvert upgrades along South Australia’s Barrier Highway, supporting improved road safety, freight efficiency and regional connectivity across the state’s Mid North.

Current works include culvert upgrades at Winnininnie and Bindarrah, which will provide additional road width for heavy vehicles and improve freight movements along the corridor.

The project will also deliver an upgraded rest area at Bindarrah and a new eastbound rest area at Winnininnie, providing drivers with additional opportunities to manage fatigue and undertake vehicle and load checks.

Each rest area will accommodate up to four double road trains and include shelters, seating and waste facilities.

The latest works build on the completion of intersection upgrades at Whyte Yarcowie and Yunta in March 2026, which improved safety and traffic movements along the 305km section of highway between Cockburn and Burra.

At Whyte Yarcowie, upgrades to the intersections of Barrier Highway, Main Road and Whyte Road included new lighting, pavement improvements, safety barriers, line marking and drainage works. Dedicated left and right turn lanes have also been installed to improve access for heavy vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Barrier Highway and Main Street intersection at Yunta has been widened and reconstructed to support traffic servicing nearby pastoral, mining and exploration operations.

More than 1,500 vehicles, including approximately 450 heavy vehicles, travel through the two intersections each day.

The works form part of the $62.5 million Barrier Highway Corridor Upgrade and the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments, with contributions of $50 million and $12.5 million respectively.

The program follows the completion of upgrades to a 61km section of the Barrier Highway between Burra and Riverton in late 2024.

Department for Infrastructure and Transport Chief Executive, Jon Whelan, said the works would strengthen the long-term performance of one of South Australia’s key regional transport corridors.

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

“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.”