Dukes Highway

Adelaide-Melbourne Road Corridor

The South Australian section of the Adelaide-Melbourne corridor runs for approximately 284 kilometres starting from Glen Osmond and consists of the South East Freeway, the Princes Highway and the Dukes Highway through to its end point at Bordertown near the Victorian border.
The following distinct roles have been identified for this road corridor:

• to be the primary freight link between Melbourne and Adelaide
• it forms part of the broader link between the eastern states and Perth and Darwin
• it provides an important link in the international transport chain for agriculture, mining and other export-oriented industries
• it is the main connection between a large number of growing regional and rural communities and the capital cities of Melbourne and Adelaide
• it forms an important link for tourism between Melbourne and Adelaide.

$100 million has been committed to improving the South Australian section of the Corridor, as part of the Australian Government’s Nation Building Program (2008-09 to 2013-14). Funding for this six year program comprises $80 million from the Australian Government for Dukes Highway improvements and $20 million from the State Government for improvements to the South Eastern Freeway and Princes Highway.

Dukes Highway

Between 2006 and 2010, 90% of fatalities, excluding pedestrian and cyclists, were the result of vehicles crossing onto the wrong side of the road and running off the road or hitting an oncoming vehicle. To reduce the risk of this type of crash, the Department is undertaking a number of improvements along Dukes Highway, between Tailem Bend and the South Australian/Victorian Border aimed at addressing crashes caused by fatigue and inattention.