Tender for Hobart Southern Project works now out to market

The next stage of works under the Southern Projects program in Tasmania are expected to commence in the summer construction season, with tenders for the Macquarie/Davey Street Bus Improvement project released to market. 

The carefully planned Southern Projects program will include the construction of the Southern Outlet Transit Lane all the way through to Macquarie Street. The program has a deliberate aim to make bus travel more attractive while also improving traffic flow from the southern suburbs to Hobart’s CBD. 

“My Department has been working on ways to minimise traffic impacts from construction. To do that, we have developed a staging of work, starting from where the traffic is the heaviest in the city and working our way back. Advice is that this will maximise the flow on the Macquarie and Davey Street couplet in the first instance with continued congestion improvement as we work our way back to Olinda Grove. 

“The work will be done in smaller stages, so we aren’t working on too many sections at the same time. 

“This summer, we will focus on initial preparation works for the transit lane, construction of the Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements project and the first element of the Southern Outlet Transit Lane, the Transit Lane Connector between Davey and Macquarie Streets,” Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael Ferguson said. 

Source: Transport Services

The projects will deliver several benefits including additional new lane capacity, improved peak hour traffic flow through Hobart’s CBD as well as relief of the bottleneck between Davey and Macquarie Streets. 

These works are being delivered first to help minimise traffic impacts when major construction on the additional Transit Lane commences. 

In the coming weeks, crews will remove the three vacant Dynnyrne properties that were acquired for the project. The works will include some night-time lane closures and should not affect traffic during the day. 

More information – including dates and times of the works – will be available soon. 

“In November, work will start on the Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvement project with the removal of some parking spaces and changes to parking arrangements on both sides of the two streets. 

“This will allow for the construction of new clearways which will improve bus access and traffic flow during peak traffic periods. 

“This follows an extensive period of engagement with residents and business owners. More details on the changed parking arrangements will be made available soon,” Minister Ferguson said. 

After changes are made to parking arrangements, construction will begin on the extended clearways and cycling improvements on Macquarie and Davey Streets. These works are expected to be completed by March 2024. Upon completion, the works will provide a dedicated bus lane connecting the current bus lane at the bottom of the Southern Outlet through to Molle Street. 

The Department will ensure traffic impacts are minimised at all stages of the project, with lane closures occurring outside morning and afternoon peak times. 

The overall Southern Projects program will include: 

• New park and ride facilities in Kingborough, connecting with increased bus services 
• A new city-bound T3 transit lane for the Southern Outlet to encourage bus travel and carpooling 
• Building the Transit Lane Connector to ease the bottleneck between Davey and Macquarie Streets 
• Easing the bottleneck on Macquarie and Davey Streets by adding new lanes and bus improvements 

The tender for the construction of the Transit Lane Connector – which will see an additional lane built between Davey and Macquarie Streets – is due to be released later this year and construction on the project to begin in early 2024. This work will mostly be done at night to minimise any impacts to commuters. 

Once completed, the Transit Lane Connector as well as the improvements to Macquarie and Davey Streets will link with the Southern Outlet Transit Lane. 

“We expect to start on more preparation works on the Transit Lane itself in April 2024, installing rockface protection on a stretch of the Outlet just down from Olinda Grove. 

“Major construction of the Transit Lane is scheduled for early 2025. 

“Construction of the Southern Projects program will see more roadworks over the next three years and temporary measures to avoid congestion, particularly during peak periods. 

“We will continue to work on ways to reduce the impact of the Transit Lane construction on traffic flow and will share more information with the community and stakeholders as the project progresses. 

“As we always do, we thank residents and commuters in advance for their patience and cooperation during these construction projects, as we provide better infrastructure that will provide real relief and incentive for public transport for years into the future,” Minister Ferguson said. 

The Southern Projects program is part of the Hobart City Deal, a 10-year partnership between the Australian and Tasmanian Governments and the Clarence, Glenorchy, Hobart and Kingborough councils. 

Through the Hobart City Deal, the partnership aims to: 

• Increase the use of public and active transport 
• Create urban renewal through compact, liveable and sustainable precincts 
• Deliver vibrant and liveable communities with access to green spaces, and supporting cultural and recreational facilities 
• Grow Greater Hobart’s status as a global connected city 

The partners will be delivering a broad package of infrastructure improvements and services that will encourage transport habits, manage congestion, improve traffic flow and inform decision making in the Greater Hobart region. 

Source: Premier of Tasmania – News; Tasmanian Government – Transport Services