Southern Transport Investment Program
Encyclopedia
Road transport
Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods. A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat.-History:...
and rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
plan for the northern outskirts of Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
instituted in 2007 by the Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n state government. It outlines most prominently an extensive upgrade of the Midland Highway, including the Brighton Bypass
Brighton Bypass
The Brighton Bypass is a A$164 million bypass currently under construction on the Midland Highway between Bridgewater and Pontville, just north of Hobart in southern Tasmania. Construction of the 9.5 km federally funded Dual carriageway started in April 2009, and is expected to be completed in...
, the Bagdad Bypass
Bagdad Bypass
The Bagdad Bypass is a proposed bypass of the Midland Highway, through Bagdad, Tasmania. While not a new proposal, the idea began gaining momentum on the release of the Southern Transport Investment Program. The road will be initially constructed as a two-lane highway with extra earthworks...
and the replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge. The plan also outlines the construction of the Brighton Transport Hub
Brighton Transport Hub
The Brighton Transport Hub is a $79 million Intermodal Transport hub currently under construction in conjunction with the Brighton Bypass on the northern fringes of Hobart, in southern Tasmania. The Bridgewater Industrial Estate was chosen as the preferred site of the Inland port because of its...
and various rail alignment improvements to the Main North/South Line
South Line, Tasmania
The South Line, also known as the Main Line and sometimes the North/South Line or the North–South Line, is a freight rail corridor connecting Hobart to the northern ports of Tasmania. The Railway Line was built by the Tasmanian Main Line Company...
.
Background
The original concept is over 2 decades old and includes both the replacement of the Bridgewater BridgeBridgewater Bridge
The Bridgewater Bridge and Causeway spans the Derwent River in Tasmania, Australia between Bridgewater and Granton. It consists of a vertical lift bridge and a specially-built causeway connecting the bridge to the east bank of the river. It accommodates a two-lane highway, a single track railway...
, and the bypassing of, Brighton
Brighton, Tasmania
Brighton is a suburb 27km north of Hobart, in Tasmania, Australia. It lies between Pontville and the outer Hobart suburb of Bridgewater on the Midland Highway. At the 2006 census, Brighton had a population of 3,145.-History:...
, Pontville
Pontville, Tasmania
Pontville is a small rural community north of Hobart, in the south east of Tasmania, Australia. At the 2006 census, Pontville had a population of 2,166....
and Bagdad
Bagdad, Tasmania
Bagdad is a small town north of Hobart, Tasmania. It is located in the Southern Midlands Council.In the days of the horse and buggy, Bagdad was an important rest area and horse-changing place for those continuing their journey up Constitution Hill...
.
This current section of the Midland Highway is a two-lane road with no overtaking lanes. The speed limit slows to as low as 50 km/h in the area of a Brighton school. Residents of the area have come to dread the almost daily sound of an ambulance speeding past, or a helicopter flying above, towards another crash. Hobart Disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and resident of Bagdad, Bob Cooke
Bob Cooke
Bob Cooke is a Tasmanian disc jockey most notable for being the former co-host at HO FM’s breakfast show with Richard Moore and was formally the host of Heart 107.3’s breakfast show....
has said locals live in "mortal fear" driving down Constitution Hill - A semi-mountainous stretch of the highway. In response to some of these concerns, the Midlands Highway at Constitution Hill is being upgraded to have oncoming lanes separated by a wire rope safety fence and is expected to be completed in May 2009.
The University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
is currently spending ten thousand dollars a month subsidising
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
bus travel for students between the Hobart and Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
Campus. This subsidy started after four students died in a car accident on the Midland Highway in 2006.
Proposals
The proposal has been slow going and plagued by political bickering. In 2001 the Federal GovernmentGovernment of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
set aside $100 million towards the replacement of the bridge after the State
Government of Tasmania
The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
and Federal governments reached consensus on the replacement bridge's location.
In 2003 the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources
Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources
The Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources is the department of the Government of Tasmania responsible for management of the state's infrastructure. It reports to several ministers including Jim Cox and Michael Aird....
declared the Bridgewater crossing as the highest priority issue for the National Highway
National Highway (Australia)
thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...
in Tasmania. They also said that a range of upgrading concepts has been developed and were investigating costs for the construction of a new bridge compared to the costs of a refurbishment for the existing bridge.
In 2005 the Federal Minister for Trade Warren Truss
Warren Truss
Warren Errol Truss , Australian politician, is the current leader of the National Party of Australia in the Parliament of Australia. He has held the House of Representatives seat of Wide Bay since the 1990 election...
said the state government had accepted all funding packages proposed by AusLink
AusLink
AusLink was an Australian Government land transport funding program, established in June 2004 and administered by the Department of Transport and Regional Services. In 2009 it was replaced with the Nation Building Program under the Nation Building Program Act 2009...
for that year except for the replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge. He said this is because the state Government does not want that project to proceed
On October 30, 2006 a problem with the lifting span of the Bridgewater bridge forced its closure for several weeks causing traffic problems for commuters in Northern Hobart. After this incident and the increasing road fatalities on the existing highway the Derwent Valley, Brighton and the Southern Midlands Council started lobbying the State government for the construction of the long awaited bypass. Shortly after this, on November 13, 2006 the Federal Minister for Roads Jim Lloyd
Jim Lloyd
James Eric Lloyd JP , Australian politician, was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives from the March 1996 election until the November 2007 election, representing the Division of Robertson in New South Wales.Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Lloyd was...
said the Tasmanian Government had taken too long to find a solution to problems with the Bridgewater Bridge. Mr Lloyd said there is $20 million available for a new bridge and the Federal Government is open to approaches for more funding. He said it is unacceptable that Tasmania's Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources has spent five years looking at alternatives for the bridge.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Tony Bisdee estimated the staged works would cost between $250 million and $300 million and would help the South "catch up in road funding to the North and North-West of the state". Towards the end of April 2007, after five road fatalities on the Highway that month the state government drafted plans for a two-lane bypass of Brighton (built over 10 years). The plan involves the following upgrades (in order of completion):
- Minor improvements of the Lyell HighwayLyell HighwayThe Lyell Highway is a highway in Tasmania, running from Hobart to Queenstown. The name is derived from Mount Lyell, the mountain peak where copper was found in the late 19th century, and the site of the Mount Lyell copper mine, and the sole reason for the existence of Queenstown...
at the southern end of the Bridgewater bridge. - The southern section - Brighton BypassBrighton BypassThe Brighton Bypass is a A$164 million bypass currently under construction on the Midland Highway between Bridgewater and Pontville, just north of Hobart in southern Tasmania. Construction of the 9.5 km federally funded Dual carriageway started in April 2009, and is expected to be completed in...
- The northern section - Bagdad BypassBagdad BypassThe Bagdad Bypass is a proposed bypass of the Midland Highway, through Bagdad, Tasmania. While not a new proposal, the idea began gaining momentum on the release of the Southern Transport Investment Program. The road will be initially constructed as a two-lane highway with extra earthworks...
- The approaches to the Bridgewater Bridge.
This new proposal did not include the replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge or overtaking lanes
Passing lane
A passing lane or overtaking lane is the lane on a multi-lane highway or motorway closest to the center of the road ....
for the new bypass. Mayor Bisdee said that the proposed 2 lane bypass was inadequate for the needs of the area, and stated that with increasing truck movements in the area, that overtaking lanes were needed or the Swedish One Plus Two
2+1 road
2+1 road is a specific category of three-lane road, consisting of two lanes in one direction and one lane in the other, alternating every few kilometres, and separated usually with a steel cable barrier. Traditional roads of at least width can be converted to 2+1 roads and reach near-motorway...
model. State Transport Minister Jim Cox confirmed that specific details such as lanes, safety barriers and other safety features had yet to be finalised. Mr Cox stressed the road on the bridge is sound but did say $1.5 million was needed to fix the liftspan.
Political problems
Former PremierPremiers of Tasmania
The Premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly will nominate its leader to be Premier. The nominated politician is then invited by the Governor of...
Paul Lennon
Paul Lennon
Paul Anthony Lennon is an Australian Labor Party politician. He was Premier of Tasmania from 21 March 2004 until his resignation on 26 May 2008. He was member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the seat of Franklin from 1990 until officially resigning on 27 May 2008...
joined the debate, saying that the upgrade—which will bypass some of Tasmania's most neglected and dangerous stretches of highway—was long overdue. He said he along with all other southern Tasmanians wanted to see the national highway upgraded significantly. The former Premier also said he hopes the proposed move of the Freight Terminal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
to Brighton will be a catalyst for federal funds to fix Hobart's northern approaches. The day after making these comments the Mr Lennon accused the Federal government of pork-barrelling
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
in the north and north-west while neglecting deadly roads in the south.
In the following days Prime minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
indicated the state's south would get a boost in road funding. However, Mr Howard hit back at Premier Paul Lennon's accusations he has spent up big in north and north-west while neglecting road safety in the south of the state.
The State Government had not yet released its plans for the proposed bypass to the Federal government, Mr Lennon said this should not prevent a commitment. He said that the $60 million East Tamar Highway
East Tamar Highway
The East Tamar Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It covers the eastern edge of the Tamar River, from Launceston to the lighthouse at Low Head.It is labelled as state route A8.-External links:*...
upgrade announced in 2006 had not required a plan.
Bridgewater Bridge
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
Eric Abetz
Eric Abetz
Eric Abetz , has been a Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate since February 1994, representing the state of Tasmania. He is currently Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. He was educated at the University of Tasmania and was a barrister and solicitor before entering politics...
stated that the governments decision to keep the bridge closed to boating traffic showed it should have pursued a new bridge over the Derwent River. Senator Abetz said the state government had been dishonest with the southern mayors.
Around the same time, Derwent Valley Mayor Nick Cracknell suggested the state government could be "fudging" figures on repairing the lifting mechanism of the bridge in an effort to convince the public that its repair was too costly. He proposed an independent assessment of bridge.
Official plan
During May 2007 the State Government released its long awaited plan for Hobart's northern approaches. The plan outlines the construction of a $164 million 9.5kmKilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
four-lane grade separated
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
highway to bypass Brighton
Brighton Bypass
The Brighton Bypass is a A$164 million bypass currently under construction on the Midland Highway between Bridgewater and Pontville, just north of Hobart in southern Tasmania. Construction of the 9.5 km federally funded Dual carriageway started in April 2009, and is expected to be completed in...
. As well as having a continuous 110 km/h speed limit the new road will also have a centre barrier to stop head-on crashes that have caused numerous deaths and serious injuries on the notorious two-lane stretch of the Midland Highway. The five year plan also includes the construction of a $70 million Brighton Transport Hub
Brighton Transport Hub
The Brighton Transport Hub is a $79 million Intermodal Transport hub currently under construction in conjunction with the Brighton Bypass on the northern fringes of Hobart, in southern Tasmania. The Bridgewater Industrial Estate was chosen as the preferred site of the Inland port because of its...
to replace the road-rail freight transfer centre at the Hobart railyards. The Bridgewater bridge will get a $12 million repair to make it last until a new bridge can be built as part of the $200 million stage two of the plan, which should happen by 2017. The 12 km Mangalore-Bagdad bypass
Bagdad Bypass
The Bagdad Bypass is a proposed bypass of the Midland Highway, through Bagdad, Tasmania. While not a new proposal, the idea began gaining momentum on the release of the Southern Transport Investment Program. The road will be initially constructed as a two-lane highway with extra earthworks...
will be built as part of stage two from 2011.
The big difference to the official plan compared to the government's draft plan released a month earlier is the Bridgewater Bridge. Possibly due to community outrage over the present bridge being closed to boat traffic, the official plan includes its eventual replacement. Stage one of the plan involves:
- In excess of 1million cubic metres of earthworks
- 5 bridge structures including 120m long rail tunnel
- 5 km rail track
- 5 km road
- 25,000m² hardstand area
- Grade-separate interchanges to serve the Brighton Industrial Estate and Brighton township
- Several overpass and underpass structures at road and rail crossings including two rail underpasses for the Main North/South Rail LineSouth Line, TasmaniaThe South Line, also known as the Main Line and sometimes the North/South Line or the North–South Line, is a freight rail corridor connecting Hobart to the northern ports of Tasmania. The Railway Line was built by the Tasmanian Main Line Company...
and some realignment of the Main Line railway - Upgraded roundabout and new roundabout at interchange
- Road and rail infrastructure, including amenities and office buildings
- New services and relocation of existing services
- Service roads and ramps