Upgrades to be delivered on Main South Road from Myponga to Yankalilla

The South Australian Government’s 2025-26 State Budget is delivering new funding to deliver safety improvements on a section of Main South Road between Myponga and Yankalilla. 

The State Government is partnering with the Australian Government to deliver a total of $80 million – on a 50:50 basis – over five years towards this project, which will include the construction of new overtaking lanes. 

“We have a long-term vision to see zero lives lost on our roads by 2050. 

“The Fleurieu Peninsula is a popular part of our state, and we want to ensure South Australians reach their destinations safely. 

“The partnership between the Albanese and Malinauskas Governments will fund these two new overtaking lanes and important road upgrades between Myponga and Yankalilla,” Treasurer Stephen Mullighan said. 

Main South Road is a key route connecting heavy vehicles as well as commuters and tourists from Adelaide to destinations along the Fleurieu Peninsula. 

The road includes many curves and has an undulating environment that makes overtaking difficult, causing delays and driver frustrations that can lead to unsafe behaviour. 

The Myponga to Yankalilla section of Main South Road carries about 4,900 vehicles each day. Between 2019 and 2023, this section saw 16 crashes that resulted in one fatality and five serious injuries while five crashes resulting in four lives lost and two serious injuries occurred in 2024. 

“Locals have long called for safety improvements along Main South Road between Myponga and Yankalilla, and now we are getting on with delivering them together with the Australian Government with this new $80 million initiative. 

“Last year along we saw five serious crashes, tragically resulting in four lives lost and several people seriously injured, as well as a horrifying near miss when a truck drove into oncoming traffic by attempting to overtake on a narrow bridge. 

“One life lost on our roads is one too many. Improving the driving conditions and adding overtaking lanes on this key route to and from the Fleurieu Peninsula will reduce driver frustration and help prevent risky behaviour that can lead to tragedy,” Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tom Koutsantonis said. 

Upgrades to this section of the road will include the construction of two new overtaking lanes, targeted curve easing, road widening, and widening of narrow bridges and culverts. 

These works will help increase overtaking opportunities while creating a safer environment for all road users travelling to and from the Fleurieu Peninsula. 

In addition, this project will support economic growth and improve livability by making travel safe and reliable to key destinations, including Kangaroo Island. 

The Myponga to Yankalilla upgrade builds on the Malinauskas Government’s election commitment to deliver three overtaking lanes on Main South Road between Normanville and Cape Jervis. 

This section saw 17 crashes between 2019 and 2023 including two fatal crashes and eight crashes that resulted in 12 serious injuries. Meanwhile in 2024, there were four crashes that left ten people with serious injuries. 

The overtaking lanes to be delivered on this section of Main South Road will help reduce risky overtaking behaviour and support improved traffic flow as well as safety for locals, tourists, and heavy vehicles while building capacity for future growth. 

This project is anticipated to support about 115 full time equivalent jobs over the construction phase. 

Together, the two Main South Road upgrade projects have a total investment of $111.8 million and will deliver five overtaking lanes as well as other safety upgrades on Main South Road between Myponga and Cape Jervis. 

“Along with other locals in our area who drive that stretch of road on a regular basis, I’m delighted this funding has been made available to make our roads safer. 

“For almost a decade now I’ve been working on getting extra funding for Main South Road and we have seen the duplication from Seaford to Sellicks, the go-ahead for the three overtaking lanes between Normanville and Cape Jervis and now the huge upgrade of the stretch between Myponga and Yankalilla. 

“In any budget there are always competing interests from different parts of the state. I’m delighted the federal and state Labor governments continue to listen to the people of Mawson and provide the very best infrastructure to keep us safe and to improve productivity,” MP for Mawson Leon Bignell said. 

Source: Government of South Australia – Media Releases; Government of South Australia – Department for Infrastructure and Transport (1, 2); Infrastructure Magazine