The significant growth in holiday period traffic volumes also increases the potential for accidents to occur at the intersection between the Augusta Highway/Port Wakefield Highway and the Copper Coast Highway – the main road link to the Yorke Peninsula. The increase in traffic volumes at this intersection, particularly southbound traffic traveling from the Yorke Peninsula via the Cooper Coast Highway, leads to long queues, significant delays and an increase in driver frustration and risk taking. The construction of an overpass and connecting ramps for vehicles using the Copper Coast Highway, will remove conflict points, reduce these queues and delays and dramatically improve safety at the intersection.

The current design builds on the previous concept designs developed by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport and released in August 2018, revised in January 2019, September 2019 and November 2019 following feedback from the community and local stakeholders. It makes further improvements based on feedback from stakeholders and the wider community to give the best possible outcome and a cost-effective solution.

The evolution of the concept design includes:

• Two lanes in each direction through the Port Wakefield township with provisions for safe U-turn movements
• A two-lane carriageway for northbound vehicles through the Port Wakefield township, allowing for increased parking and landscaping opportunities, as well as safer vehicle and pedestrian movements
• A second two lane carriageway for southbound vehicles running behind the service stations. This additional carriageway will give flexibility to allow traffic to run in both directions on one other carriageway in the event of an incident
• A realigned Balaklava Road intersection with the new southbound Port Wakefield Highway, allowing for safer turn movements for the large vehicles that often use Balaklava Road
• A new bridge and a replacement of the existing bridge across the Wakefield River
• A new two-lane overpass for traffic travelling southbound from the Copper Coast Highway to Port Wakefield, and for traffic travelling along the Augusta Highway to the Copper Coast Highway. This will maintain all existing movements at the intersection but greatly improve safety
• The new overpass will remove all hazardous at-grade turn movements at the intersection of the Augusta Highway/Port Wakefield Highway and Copper Coast Highway
• Improved parking, urban design and landscaping within the township to increase the attractiveness for travellers to stop and spend time.

Taken together these improvements will provide a safer road environment for all users of these key routes in regional South Australia.

As part of the delivery of urban design elements and artworks for the project, the Alliance will collaborate with Aboriginal stakeholder groups, Port Augusta City Council and key stakeholders in the design and implementation of cultural elements to strengthen local identity, cultural respect and interpretation of place.