Road Photos & Information: South Australia

Dukes Highway (National Highway A8)

Statistics:

• Length: 189 km
• Northern Terminus: Princes Highway (NH-A1 / B1) at Tailem Bend
  
• Southern Terminus: SA-Vic Border near Wolseley
  
• Miscellaneous: Continues as NH-A8 into Victoria
  
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Tailem Bend, Coomandook, Yumail, Ki Ki, Coonalpyn, Culburra, Tintinara, Keith, Brimago, Cannawigara, Bordertown and Wolseley.
  

Route Numbering:

• Current:  
• Former: 
• Multiplexes: 
• Road Authority Internal Classification: 07800 1

General Information:

The Dukes Highway forms part of the main route between Adelaide and Melbourne, and is funded under the Federal Government's Auslink road funding scheme. 2

The Dukes Highway is heavily trafficked by more than 2000 vehicles daily. Around 45 per cent of vehicles are commercial and articulated vehicles. 3

The route is mostly undivided single carriageway with 1 lane in each direction, except for some overtaking lanes.

Multiplexes along the route include:

• B57 for 10 km, between Cannawigara and Bordertown
  

History:

• 1985/86: Construction of current alignment between Bordertown and Victorian border. 2
• June 2005: Completion of Stage 1 of widen and pavement upgrades, 9 km from the SA-Vic Border. 4
• 4 October 2005: Works in Stage 2 of the Dukes Highway upgrading (approximately eight kilometres from the Wolesley Road intersection to Bordertown) commenced. The works involved repairing failed pavement, improving the overall shape of the road and shoulder sealing. 3
  
• March 2009: Work commences on the installation of safety barriers and guardrails at locations of high risk hazards, including unprotected embankment drop offs, on the Dukes Highway between Tailem Bend and the Victorian border. 5
  
• April 2009: Work commences on increasing the length of each of the overtaking lanes from 1.3 kilometres to 1.6 kilometres between Tailem Bend and Keith. 6 Work commences on the upgrade of the roadside rest area two kilometres west of Culburra (serving west bound traffic). The upgrades include sufficient capacity to store up to eight B doubles at any one time, amenities (including two separate shelters and bins), a sealed carriageway through the rest area and sealed deceleration and acceleration lanes for entry to and exit from the rest area. 7
  
• September 2009: Completion of the installation of safety barriers and guardrails between Tailem Bend and the Victorian border.  A total of 4.46 kilometres of wire rope barriers were installed at ten sites and a total of 1.03 kilometres of w-beam guardrails were installed at a further two sites. 8
  

1 Transport SA State Route Numbers Map, May 2003
2 South Australian Public Works Committee, Dukes Highway Rehabilatation Bordertown to the Victorian Border report
3 Transport SA News & Media Releases, Stage 2 of $15 Million Dukes Highway upgrade to start, 25 August 2005
4 Transport SA News & Media Releases, Stage 1 completed of $15 million Dukes Highway rehabilitation, 17 June 2005
5 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Projects, Dukes Highway Upgrade - Roadside Hazard Mitigation, 16 October 2009
6 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Projects, Dukes Highway Upgrade - Overtaking Lane Extensions, 16 October 2009
7 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Projects, Dukes Highway Upgrade - Roadside Rest Areas Upgrade, 16 October 2009
8 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Projects, Dukes Highway Upgrade - Roadside Hazard Mitigation, 16 October 2009