The South East Traffic Solution in southern Tasmania aims to help improve travel time reliability through a more efficient and safer road network between Hobart and Sorell.
When I was in Tasmania recently I found stretches of that highway were very much in need of such an upgrade.
State Growth in Tasmania advises the Sorell area is leading population growth in Tasmania’s south, increasing at nearly three times the rate of the whole state.
“With that growth comes increasing pressures on the local road network. This has resulted in heavier traffic and reduced travel time reliability at peak times for those travelling between the southern beaches (including Dodges Ferry and Carlton), Sorell and Hobart,” a spokesman said.
Further pressure on the local road network is generated by strong growth in tourist traffic, with Sorell at the junction of the Tasman Highway and Arthur Highway, carrying through-traffic on the Great Eastern Drive to the north, and to Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula in the south-east.
Traffic is often busy from Hobart Airport to Midway Point Causeway.
This project will improve safety and reduce congestion by increasing the Tasman Highway to two lanes each way between the airport interchange and the western Midway Point causeway.
The highway will be upgraded to be two lanes in each direction, separated by a central flexible safety barrier.
Construction on this project is expected to start during 2025 but can only happen once approvals are obtained.
Another positive is that if the project proceeds it will widen the Tasman Highway causeways at Midway Point and Sorell, increasing them from two to four lanes.
This will include building a second bridge next to McGees Bridge.
The causeways will also be higher to protect them during extreme weather events.