The latest in road safety mapping technology is traversing the region as of last week to survey state-maintained roads in the South East.
iPAVE will cover roads including the Princes, Dukes, Riddoch and Wimmera highways, Southern Ports, Mount Gambier, Millicent and Naracoorte roads and Jubilee Highway West, equating to more than 50 roads surveyed in the region across 20 townships.
So far, the iPAVE has covered about 7500km out of 18,000km of the state’s sealed road network including the rural outskirts of Adelaide, up to the Northern Territory border as well as parts of the Yorke and Eyre peninsulas.
The iPAVE 3 analysis of South Australian roads (around 400 in total) is expected to be completed by mid-2024, with the results to help determine what works are needed and prioritise resources across the state.
Regional Roads Minister Geoff Brock said he was pleased to see the iPAVE making strong progress as the new technology continues to survey the state’s roads.
“The Limestone Coast is home to critical industries and jobs and the vehicle’s work being carried out will help us to assess, maintain and upgrade roads more efficiently across the region,” he said.
“I would encourage councils, like those in the Limestone Coast, to see this technology first-hand and consider how it can be used for their own roads for future generations.
“I would also like to thank the local members, Troy Bell and Nick McBride, for their ongoing interest in how the iPAVE can support their regional communities.”
Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin OAM said she hopes iPAVE can help to improve the safety of the region’s roads.
“It will assist in examining the roads to see the quality they are, any work that needs to be done on them in a modern and efficient way and therefore it will hopefully contribute to the roads being maintained in safe condition for the users,” she said.
“It is most important the quality of our roads is maintained for our residents and our visitors. It is important it will highlight areas that do need attention and will give efficiencies economically and with work force in attending to the roads so I think it is a great initiative and a very welcome one.”
Grant District Mayor Kylie Boston said the technology can only help to assist with the condition of state roads.
“This technology is amazing, I will commend Minister Brock on what he has done with that department and I think it has been a great thing and we cannot wait to work with him now with the results of these surveys,” she said.
“I know budgets are limited so if that means that we can really maximise how we spend those dollars and get it in the right spots, I think it will be fabulous.”
