A majority Liberal government will
- Invest $23 million to secure a total of $115 million in joint State-Federal funding for two traffic congestion hot spots in the South, including –
- Delivering a $55 million four-lane upgrade of the South Arm Highway (between Pass Road and Oakdowns), including a bypass of the Rokeby commercial area.
- Funding the $60 million Algona interchange and Kingston Bypass duplication, providing two lanes in each direction between the Channel Highway and the Southern Outlet.
- Develop a 10-year strategic action plan for the Channel Highway to inform and plan for long-term investment in this fast-growing area, including planning for a pedestrian-cycle path extending from Huntingfield to Margate.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government has a $5 billion infrastructure pipeline, including $2.7 billion for roads and bridge upgrades across the State with well over $100 million of work now underway in the south.
We will add to this with bespoke projects that tackle traffic congestion hotspots, including:
Delivering a $55 million four-lane upgrade of the South Arm Highway (between Pass Road and Oakdowns), including a bypass of the Rokeby commercial area
Within the first 100 days of a re-elected Majority Liberal Government, we will put forward a strong bid, backed by the recently completed Corridor Plan, seeking funding from the Australian Government for $44 million to co-invest with $11 million from the State, towards a dual carriageway to manage growth and safety on the road.
Following a successful bid, planning and development would commence in 2023 with construction to start in 2025 and works expected to be completed during 2027.
Traffic growth has been in the order of 4 per cent per annum in recent years, and growth is expected to continue due to significant planned residential and community development in the area.
This is a critical transport link and is beginning to show congestion points, contributing to increased travel times during peak hours.
Further, pedestrian, cycling and public transport infrastructure does not meet contemporary standards.
The Stage 3 Rokeby to South Arm Road plan covers the stretch between Pass Road and Acton Road, and would involve building two traffic lanes in each direction from Pass Road through to Oakdowns, with a four-lane bypass of the Rokeby commercial area, improving safety and amenity.
It will also provide safety improvements of the South Arm Highway from Oakdowns to Acton Road, with full duplication of this section slated as a later stage in the ongoing investment and improvement of this key commuter corridor, following the completion of Stages 1 and 2 in 2015.
Funding the $60 million Algona interchange and Kingston Bypass duplication, providing two lanes in each direction between the Channel Highway and the Southern Outlet
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will also provide critical funding towards the Algona interchange and the Kingston bypass duplication.
Traffic congestion at the Algona Road roundabout is a problem now, and with the rapid and significant growth in the Kingborough area, it is clear that we need to build for the future.
With new residential developments planned and underway at Spring Farm Estate, Huntingfield and Whitewater Park, and additional potential developments in Margate and Snug, it is important that we provide the transport infrastructure to meet the forecast growth of housing and business in this region before it becomes a problem.
In peak hour, commuters will know that this section of the Channel Highway is already subject to high traffic volumes and significant queuing due to the requirement to give way to traffic coming from the right.
Traffic modelling undertaken by the Department of State Growth shows that the existing network is close to full capacity now, and the forecast growth in traffic will result in unacceptable delays – indicating that an upgrade is needed in the next few years.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will put forward a bid for Australian Government funding of $48 million to co-invest with $12 million toward a $60 million project to deliver a grade separated interchange (similar to the Summerleas Road interchange) at the Algona Roundabout, and duplication of the Kingston Bypass from Algona Road to the Huon Highway.
If we are successful in securing Australian Government funding for this critical upgrade, planning and design will commence in early 2022, construction will commence in mid-2023 with works expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
This transformational project will provide two lanes of uninterrupted travel in each direction between the Channel Highway and the Southern Outlet, hassle-free access to Blackmans Bay and Huntingfield, and will make provision for pedestrian and cyclist travel in Kingborough.
Develop a 10-year strategic action plan for the Channel Highway to inform and plan for long-term investment in this fast-growing area, including planning for a pedestrian-cycle path extending from Huntingfield to Margate
We will also develop a 10-year strategic action plan for the Channel Highway, to inform and plan for long term investment and improvement of this key commuter corridor for the growing southern suburbs.
Some of the first actions under the 10-year strategic action plan will be to commence planning for a pedestrian and cycle path extending from Huntingfield to Margate, as a continuation of the Snug to Margate shared path, and connect with existing pathways in Kingston; and to commence planning and investigation of pedestrian crossings in the townships of Margate and Snug to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.
Current work underway right now in southern Tasmania:
- $46m Hobart Airport Interchange – due to be completed in late 2022.
- $46m Midway Point Intersection Solution – due to be completed mid-2022.
- $30m Sorell Southern Bypass – due for completion late 2022.
- Huntingfield and Firthside Park and Ride facilities, preliminary works complete, Stage 2 construction due to commence soon.
- Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor – transport mode study complete, condition report being prepared to determine what can be delivered.
- $15m East Derwent Highway duplication – due to be completed in early 2022.
- Final southern stages of the Midland Highway 10 Year Action Plan tendered and undergoing planning and design.
- Construction of the final stages of the Richmond Road Master Plan.
- $7m Sandfly Rd/Huon Highway intersection upgrade – due to be completed late 2021.
- Arthur Highway upgrades north of Flinders Creek Bridge.
- The $576 million New Bridgewater Bridge is on schedule, with the procurement, planning approval and consultation processes already underway.
- New $10 million Apsley River Bridge at Bicheno.
- New Sheas Creek Bridge at Orford.
Our record in Government on infrastructure in southern Tasmania:
- Delivering $100 million more a year in infrastructure spending compared with the last Labor-Green Budget.
- Richmond Road, Cambridge Link Road.
- South Arm Highway stages 1 and 2, duplication Oceania Drive to Pass Road.
- Tasman Highway, East Derwent Highway interchange.
- Summerleas Road, Huon Highway interchange.
- Lyell Highway safety improvements.
- Bruny Island Landside Infrastructure.
- Huon Highway safety improvements.
- Channel Highway safety improvements.
- Bruny Island road sealing and safety improvements.
Labor Government record:
- Chronic under-investment into infrastructure over 16 years in office, which resulted in the Midland Highway comprehensively failing the 2013 national highway road safety survey.
- Proposed a blanket speed limit cut to 90 km/h for all highways as a cheap cop-out for proper investment on roads.
- Failed to upgrade a single kilometre of the Midland Highway north of Brighton.
- Spent the $100 million set aside for the Bridgewater Bridge on other projects, setting the bridge replacement back a decade.
Costings:
The cost of this policy is $115 million, $92 million from Australian Government, $23 from the Tasmanian Government; over five years from 2023 to 2027.