Australia Weather News

A bridge on the Stuart Highway linking the Northern Territory and South Australia has reopened after flooding cut the key freight and tourism route for days.

The highway reopened to single-lane traffic after floodwater damaged the Old Peak Creek bridge near the remote outback town of Glendambo in South Australia's far north.

The South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) said inspections carried out late yesterday confirmed the structure was safe under controlled conditions, with a 25 kilometre/hour speed restriction to remain in place for seven days.

Dutch travellers Desiree Hommel and Martin Weijers were travelling from Alice Springs to Perth when they became stranded on the northern side of the bridge. 

Ms Hommel said they waited in line with other motorists for three days under the impression they would soon be let through because the information provided online was unclear.

But on both Sunday and Monday night, after a long day of waiting, they had to turn back to Coober Pedy to try and find accommodation with the many other stranded travellers.

"Police weren't saying anything; traffic controllers weren't saying anything," Ms Hommel said.

"We felt like the people who were waiting at the bridge knew more than the local authorities did."

When Ms Hommel and other drivers were eventually given the go-ahead to cross by traffic controllers on Tuesday afternoon, about an hour passed before it was formally reopened on the Traffic SA website.

The DIT confirmed it was aware of cars and trucks crossing the bridge before it was formally reopened.

"The most astonishing part of this for me is the lack of communication because it's such a major highway and route for supply [and] everything," Ms Hommel said.

Abby Hartfeldt, who manages the Glendambo Hotel on the southern side of the bridge, said she was at capacity as stranded travellers booked last-minute accommodation.

She said many customers were growing frustrated at the lack of communication from authorities.

"A lot of people were sort of waiting and playing the situation by ear, day by day," she said.

Ms Hartfeldt said she lost track of the number of cars and trucks waiting to get through.

"There was a little bit of semantics and politics about who was responsible," she said. 

"But there was no communication from transport or infrastructure."

Roads reopen after flooding

Speaking to the ABC's program on Wednesday morning, DIT spokesperson Juanita Chester said traffic management crews were still stationed on the Old Peak Creek bridge and would remain there for the next week.

"Traffic is getting through, that's the most important thing," she said.

She said authorities would continue clearing debris from the creek to allow other flood-affected outback roads to reopen.

"Hopefully by the end of the day more roads will be accessible, not fixed, but accessible," she said.

Responding to concerns about communication, Ms Chester said the DIT had done its best to provide timely information but acknowledged the challenges of working in isolated communities.

She said authorities were aware of people crossing the bridge before it was formally reopened. 

"We did have traffic control on site and allowed traffic that was banked up to move through the site prior to the official opening," she said.

"That was clear to the traffic that was already there before we actually opened it formally on Traffic SA. 

"So it was a case of managing the backlog. That might have been the situation being referred to, or it could be those that did sneak across when they probably shouldn't have."

Meanwhile, the Barrier Highway between Hallett, 32 kilometres north of Burra in SA's Mid North, and the New South Wales border, about three hours' drive away, has also reopened after significant flooding and debris impacts. 

Some sections remain single lane, with speeds reduced to 40km/h east of Yunta as clean-up works continue. 

The outback SA town recorded 142mm of rain over the weekend, while other parts of the state received record rainfall, bringing relief to some in regional areas after long dry spells.