The Albanese Government is building Tasmania's future, investing nearly $213 million to upgrade critical highways and build active transport routes across the south east of the state.
This includes $204 million to improve the Arthur Highway and widen the Sorell Rivulet Bridge.
The Arthur Highway and Sorell Rivulet Bridge form the main access route between Port Arthur, Sorell and Hobart, providing a critical corridor for residents and tourists between some of the state's most popular and populous destinations.
This investment will ease congestion for a growing community, as well as benefit agricultural and water supply businesses, tourists and local residents.
Funding will go towards safety upgrades including overtaking lanes, intersection improvements, and road modifications to enhance traffic flow such as shoulder widening and changes to lane configuration. It is expected to also include works to enable active and public transport as well as better signage and tourism pullover areas.
The Brooker Highway will also receive a $4 million investment to enable planning for critical safety and efficiency improvements. This will focus on identifying works that are most needed to improve safety, capacity, and resilience, and support active travel on one of Hobart's major arterial roads.
An additional $2 million has also been committed to undertake further public transport planning on the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor. This is part of the Albanese Government's now $40.5 million investment in enhancing public transport infrastructure across Hobart.
Along with roads and public transport, the Albanese Government is better connecting communities by delivering walking and cycling paths.
Almost $3 million will be invested under the Active Transport Fund in two new projects across the south east of the state to build new or upgrade existing bicycle and walking paths:
- More than $2.2 million for the Tasman Council for a four-kilometre multi-use walking track connecting the towns of Nubeena and White Beach, south-east of Hobart;
- Almost $500,000 for Brighton Council to design and build a new shared path connecting to the existing path along the East Derwent Highway and to the new Bridgewater Bridge. This project also includes an extension of the path along Glenstone Road in Brighton, linking it to the pathway network within the Brighton township.
We have brought forward $15.6 million of funding for the Tasmanian Freight Rail Revitalisation - Tranche 4 - Network project, which has a total Australian Government commitment of $81.6 million. This will allow the ongoing delivery of improved network performance and assurance of supply chains for Tasmania's largest freight producers.
The Albanese Government is making our cities and regions even better places to live, building social infrastructure, connecting place and designing healthier, more liveable towns.
The new Active Transport Fund is one part of this, providing safe and accessible transport options that mean more people have the chance to walk, cycle or push a pram to work, school and anywhere else.
