Outback flood recovery program rolls out to Olympic Dam Highway
Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Work has commenced on a project to repair the Olympic Dam Highway, as part of a program of works aimed at boosting the resilience of South Australia’s flood damaged outback roads and highways.
The recovery works are being rolled out following intense rain and subsequent flooding in early 2022 in the state’s far north and outback.
The program is aimed at repairing flood damaged road infrastructure, restoring national and state supply chains, and reconnecting remote and regional communities and industries to pre-disaster conditions.
The Targeted Investments to Improve National Supply Chain Resilience works are being jointly funded, with the Australian Government contributing $60 million and the South Australian Government tipping in $15 million.
Joint funding is also being contributed by both governments under their Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
The work will initially include the construction of a detour road, followed by the installation of improved drainage structures and scour protection, new road surfacing, line marking and safety barrier.
Works are already well advanced on the reinstatement of scoured material, new pavement surface and safety barriers on the Stuart Highway at Woocalla Creek, with final sealing and finishing works expected to be undertaken later this month.
Design works are continuing on the remainder of repairs and upgrades forming part of the program, which include:
- Stuart Highway, Lake Windabout – installation of additional drainage, raising the existing road level, scour protection and installation of safety barrier.
- Stuart Highway, Glendambo – installation of additional drainage, raising the existing road level and scour protection.
- Eyre Highway, approximately 25 kilometres west of Kimba – installation of additional drainage, raising the existing road level and scour protection.
- Outback Highway – raising the level of existing road alignment and pavement conditioning to enable it to withstand future flooding events.
Tenders for the construction of each upgrade are expected to be released in mid-tolate-2023, subject to design works.
Further project details, including construction timeframes, are still being determined through the design process.
Full media release available here.