Upgrades on the Wimmera Highway near Naracoorte, including two new junctions, started last week, in a bid to improve road safety and freight productivity.

The construction of two new junctions on the Wimmera Highway will help freight vehicles up to 36.5 metres in length (Performance Based Standards 3A road trains) better access local businesses including the Teys Australia Naracoorte Facility and the QUBE Hynam Depot.

These two new junctions will provide sheltered right-turn lanes into both businesses.

The project will also include a dedicated left-turn deceleration lane into Teys Australia, new asphalt, line-marking, LED lighting, safety barrier installation and upgraded drainage.

Completion of this project is expected in mid-2023, weather permitting.

Works will be undertaken Monday to Friday between 7am and 5.30pm and Saturday 7am to 3.30pm.

Some work may be required outside of these hours.

To safely facilitate these works, the highway will be intermittently reduced to a single lane of traffic, with speed restrictions and temporary traffic lights in place to control the direction of traffic.

Outside of working hours the highway will re-open to two lanes of traffic (one in each direction) with speed restrictions in place.

Road users are asked to plan ahead, expect delays, allow extra travel time and take extra care when workers are on site.

Observe speed limits, lane restrictions and traffic controllers when travelling through the area.

The contract for these works has been awarded to South Australian company Bardavcol and will support approximately 25 full-time-equivalent jobs over the construction period.

The works form part of the $14.6m Rural Roads Package – Naracoorte Roundabouts project, which is jointly funded on an 80:20 basis by the Australian and South Australian governments.