Fresh calls to fix Port Wakefield bottleneck

There are renewed calls for a permanent fix to the Port Wakefield intersection after motorists faced lengthy delays yesterday as they made their way home following the long weekend.

The gridlock greets weary holiday makers every long weekend, with motorists returning home yesterday experiencing particularly lengthy delays.

The RAA has renewed its calls for a solution.

"We've got two busy highways linking and they merge into one lane going through the township of Port Wakefield," Charles Mountain from the RAA said.

"We've got a fairly open mind as to what would work better, but I think certainly there needs to be a look at this location again.

There are several options for a fix, including realigning the roads or installing a roundabout.

The South Australian Government is considering funding a $250,000 design study.

"How we can improve the intersection between the Copper Coast Highway and the Augusta Highway and also the longer term, looking at what some of the solutions are for the road capacity of Port Wakefield," Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan said.

He said it could be a year before the study is complete and community consulted.

Previous studies have identified a bypass as the best solution, but it is expensive and would divert traffic away from Port Wakefield, potentially hurting local businesses.

"The issue of the bypass and how to deal with the township of Port Wakefield itself is something that well need to spend quite some time looking at," Mr Mullighan said.