A re-elected majority Liberal Government will deliver a brand new Tamar River Bridge that will ease congestion and improve traffic flow for residents in the Launceston and Tamar Valley regions.

The new Bridge will connect the East Tamar Highway, near the University Way intersection, to the West Tamar Highway north of Cormiston Road.

The feasibility study we committed to at the last election has confirmed the case for a new Tamar River Bridge stacks up, and will allow residents to spend less time on the roads and more time doing things they want to do.

If re-elected, we will commit $80 million towards this city shaping project, and within 100 days of the election will put forward a strong case to the Commonwealth to fund the remaining $320 million required.

This is in line with pre-existing Commonwealth-State road funding arrangements, such as the Midland Highway upgrades and the new Bridgewater Bridge.

Given the strong body of work already done confirms the benefits, I am very confident the Commonwealth will come to the party and fund their share of this vitally important infrastructure for the Launceston and Tamar Valley regions.

If re-elected, we will commence preparation of detailed costings and concept designs and allow the community to have their say on the proposed location and alignment of this transformational project.

Importantly, given the estimated value of the tender and the complexity of the project, we will also closely consider declaring the new Bridge as a Major Project, ensuring it can be delivered as soon as possible.

Following the approval of the Commonwealth’s funding contribution, we expect the design, planning, approvals and procurement processes will commence in 2023, with construction to commence in 2025 and be completed by 2028.

There is no doubt a new Tamar River Bridge will transform this growing region and deliver benefits for commuters for decades to come, and if we are re-elected, we are committed to delivering it.

The policy can be found here.