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Statistics:

• Length: 189 km (Keith to Victorian Border: 63 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: Brimago, Cannawigara, Bordertown and Wolseley.

Route Numbering:

• Current: A8

• Former:

• Multiplexes: B57
• 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
• 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. 9
• 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. 10
• July 2013: A further 52 kilometres of road widening and audible strips installed along Dukes Highway between Yumali and Bordertown. 11

Victoria Border to Keith			Keith to Victoria Border
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Victoria Border: Dukes Hwy (A8) as it crosses from Victoria to South Australia at Wolseley, December 2013. Image © Michael Greenslade			Approaching Charlies Well Road: AD sign approaching Charlies Well Road in Brimbago. October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Wolseley, just after the SA-Vic Border, December 2013. Click here for a photo of this location by Jamie Scuglia from December 2001. Image © Michael Greenslade			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Eckerts Rd in Brimbago, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching North Tce, Bordertown, December 2013. Image © Michael Greenslade			Advanced Directional Sign: AD sign at Cannawigara, approaching Bordertown-Pinnaroo Rd (B57), October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Bordertown-Pinnaroo Road Intersection: Dukes Hwy (A8) at the junction with Bordertown-Pinnaroo Rd (B57) at Cannwigara, October 2009. The B57 duplex starts at this intersection. Image © Paul Rands
				Diagrammatic Services Sign: Sign indicating the locations of services in the town of Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Services Sign: Services sign on the outskirts of Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Tourist / Services Sign: Sign indicating local attractions and services, Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Meatworks Road, Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Meatworks Road Intersection: Corner of Dukes Hwy (A8) and Meatworks Road, Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Traffic Camera Gantry: Heavy vehicle traffic cameras (similar to NSW Safe-T-Cam), as you enter Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Entering Bordertown Urban Area: Speed limit change as you enter the town area of Bordertown. October 2009. Bordertown was the birthplace of former Australian Prime Mininster, Bob Hawke. 63 Image © Paul Rands
				Divided Road Ahead: Approaching the dual carriageway through Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Sign: Service orientated AD sign approaching Grigson St, which is a local service road. October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Ramsay Terrace, Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching North Terrace, Bordertown. October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching North Tce (B57), Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				North Terrace Intersection: Corner of Dukes Hwy (A8) and North Tce (B57) in Bordertown, October 2009. This is the end of the B57 duplex. Image © Paul Rands
				Tolmer Overpass: Dukes Hwy as it heads southeast over Tatiara Creek and the railway line, Bordertown, October 2009. The overpass is named after Captain Alexander Tolmer, who surveyed the area and set up the town. 12 Image © Paul Rands
				North Terrace Intersection: Corner of Dukes Hwy and North Tce, Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Sign: Very old style AD sign approaching Racecourse Rd, Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Creecoona Tce, Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Distance Sign: RD sign, as you leave Bordertown, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Wolseley Rd at Woleseley, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Wolseley Road Intersection: Dukes Hwy at the junction with Wolseley Rd at Wolseley, October 2009. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of A8 into Victoria Click here for the continuation of A8 between Keith and Coonalpyn

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
9 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, Safety improvements along Dukes Highway, 12 Sep 2011
10 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, State's first 'audio lines' on Dukes Highway, 06 Dec 2011
11 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, News, 85km of audible strips installed along Dukes, 15 Jul 2013
12 Sydney Morning Herald, Travel, Bordertown, 8 February 2009

Last updated: 05-Jan-2020 8:48

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