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Statistics:

• Length: 189 km (Tailem Bend to Coonalpyn: 61 km)
• Northern Terminus: Princes Highway (A1 / B1) at Tailem Bend
• Southern Terminus: SA-Vic Border near Wolseley
• Miscellaneous: Continues as A8 into Victoria
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Tailem Bend, Coomandook, Yumail, Ki Ki, and Coonalpyn.

Route Numbering:

• Current: A8

• Former:
• 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

History:

• 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. 4
• 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. 5
• 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. 6
• 2011: A safety program to remove trees close to the road. The tree clearing established a five to six metre clear zone along both sides of the road. Trees were also removed in preparation for the construction of four new overtaking lanes and an extension to an existing overtaking lane. The tree removals were undertaken at the following locations: 5 kilometres east of Tailem Bend, 5 kilometres west of Coomandook, 2 kilometres west of Tintinara and 17 kilometres west of Bordertown. Trees were also removed between Bordertown and the Victorian border and at a 30 kilometre section near Keith. 7
• 2012: South Australia's first audible road markings installed on Dukes Highway. Also as part of the line-marking works, a 1.2 metre gap between centre lines was provided to allow drivers to recover and return to their lane before they cross into the path of oncoming traffic. A total of 39 kilometres of the centreline treatment was installed; 21 km between Tailem Bend to Coomandook, 5 km between Coomandook to Bordertown and 13 km between Bordertown to the Victorian border. Installation of overtaking lanes; 5 kilometres east of Tailem Bend, 3 kilometres west of Coomandook, 2 kilometres west of Tintinara and 15 kilometres west of Bordertown, plus the addition of two sheltered right turn lanes, located at the Mundulla and Sherwood junctions and pavement reconstruction works between the Pinnaroo turnoff and Meatworks Road junction. 8
• July 2013: A further 52 kilometres of road widening and audible strips installed along Dukes Highway between Yumali and Bordertown. 9
• February 2014: 250 metre extension of roadside safety barriers, 2km south east of Tailem Bend on both approaches to the Tailem Bend Overpass on the Dukes Highway. 10
• July 2014: Beginning of operation of point-to-point speed cameras in both directions on the 13 kilometre stretch of Dukes Highway between Coonalpyn and Kiki. 11
• 2015: Installation of LED road lighting along the medians on all approaches to the junction with Princes Highway (B1) at Tailem Bend. 12

Preview:	Description:
	Distance Sign: RD sign at Tailem Bend after the Princes Hwy (A1 / B1) intersection. This is the first distance sign on the route heading southeast, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	National Highway 8 Trailblazer: Remnant trailblazer from the former route numbering system at Tailem Bend, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Mallee Hwy (B12) at Tailem Bend, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Mallee Highway Intersection: ID sign at the junction with Mallee Hwy (B12) in Tailem Bend, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign located after the Mallee Hwy intersection in Tailem Bend, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Cooke Plains for the Darwin Rd junction. October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Darwin Road Intersection: Intersection directional sign at the junction with Darwin Road in Cooke Plains, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Services sign at Coomandook, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Coomandook: Speed limit change as you enter the town of Coomandook. October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental AD Sign: AD sign acting as a reassurance marker in Coomandook. October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign as you leave the Coomandook town area, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Tynan Rd intersection at Yumali, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Yumali: Entering the town of Yumali, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Tynan Road Intersection: ID sign at the junction with Tynan Rd in Yumali, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign as you leave Yumali, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Ki Ki: Speed limit reduction as you enter Ki Ki, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Ki Ki Village Centre: Dukes Hwy as it passes through Ki Ki, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Services sign on the outskirts of Coonalpyn, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Services sign at Coonalpyn, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Coonalpyn approaching Railway Tce, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Coonalpyn: Change in speed as you enter the town of Coonalyn, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Railway Terrace Intersection: Corner of Dukes Hwy & Railway Tce in Coonalpyn, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Coonalpyn: Dukes Hwy as it passes through Coonalpyn, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign as you leave the town of Coonalpyn, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of A8 between Coonalpyn and Keith

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 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Projects, Dukes Highway Upgrade - Roadside Hazard Mitigation, 16 October 2009
5 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Projects, Dukes Highway Upgrade - Overtaking Lane Extensions, 16 October 2009
6 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Projects, Dukes Highway Upgrade - Roadside Hazard Mitigation, 16 October 2009
7 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, Safety improvements along Dukes Highway, 12 Sep 2011
8 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, State's first 'audio lines' on Dukes Highway, 06 Dec 2011
9 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, 85km of audible strips installed along Dukes, 15 Jul 2013
10 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, Upgrade works on Dukes Hwy, Tailem Bend overpass 30 Jan 2014
11 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, New point to point speed cameras explained, 08 Jul 2014
12 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, Safety to be Improved at the Dukes Highway Junction with the Princes Highway

Last updated: 01-May-2019 11:48

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