William Scott
The Federal and Tasmanian Governments have jointly committed $100 million to the Mornington Roundabout Upgrade project, which will see increased safety and efficiency through the known traffic pinch point.
The Federal and State Governments have contributed $80 million and $20 million respectively to the major upgrades, which will see the Mornington roundabout replaced with traffic lights to improve road safety and traffic flow. The project will also include the construction of new ramps connecting the Tasman Highway with Gordons Hill Road.
Objectives will be met by a multi-stage solution of improvements along the South Arm and Tasman Highways near Mornington.
The staged approach for planning, design and construction will be done over the coming years to minimise the impact on road users.
Work will start with building ramps to connect Gordons Hill Road with the Tasman Highway, allowing cars better access to Rosny from the highway while reducing traffic volumes at the Mornington roundabout.
Community consultation and design work on the ramps project will start in 2025, with construction planned for late 2026.
Once finished, other improvements near the Mornington roundabout will begin.
These future stages include:
- Replacing the Mornington roundabout with traffic lights. Traffic lights were chosen as the best option of all considered, as they will improve traffic flow in all directions and will have fewer impacts and a smaller footprint
- Moving the off ramp from the Tasman Highway to South Arm Highway onto Cambridge Road, improving safety and travel efficiency both on the Tasman Highway and at the Mornington roundabout intersection
- Moving and changing the Mornington Road intersection with South Arm Highway. The intersection is located very close to the Mornington roundabout intersection, and this can cause queuing and safety issues
- Safer access to bus stops by improving crossing points for people who walk, wheel or ride in the area
The exact locations or layouts of these projects are yet to be decided, with further work required to develop design concept plans and engage with the community.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said that the Mornington roundabout is a headache for local residents, causing congestion and safety concerns, which is why the government invested an additional $50 million in its recent Budget to get this fixed.
“This is one of many priority projects we are working closely on with the Tasmanian Government to make the everyday lives of locals that little bit easier,” Minister King said.
Tasmanian Minister for Infrastructure, Kerry Vincent, said that this set of projects will improve safety and traffic flow for all those who travel through the Mornington area and beyond.
“Community consultation was a key part of developing this program,” Minister Vincent said.
“Through our consultation process we heard access to and from Mornington Road can be difficult. Moving this intersection will help with the flow of traffic through this area.
“We also know that queuing on the westbound Tasman Highway off-ramp to South Arm Highway regularly spills onto the Tasman Highway and so moving the ramp will provide more separation between the off-ramp and the Mornington roundabout intersection.
“These changes will assist in the continuing growth in this region.”
For more information, visit the Transport website here.
