Budget to Deliver $7 Million to Improve Road Safety at Mowbray Connector

14 May 2017

Rene Hidding, Minister for Infrastructure

One of Northern Tasmania’s major road safety and traffic hazards will be addressed with an upgrade of the junction of the East Tamar Highway and Mowbray Connector.

The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to Building Tasmania’s Future, and next week’s State Budget will include a $7 million investment in fixing this busy and dangerous intersection.

Over the past five years there have been 10 crashes on this site involving injuries and another seven where fortunately there was only damage to vehicles.

The danger comes from the requirement for road users turning right to cross the southbound, two-lane carriageway, and although the speed limit has previously been reduced to 80km/h, traffic delays can increase the likelihood of motorists taking risks.

This can result in side impact crashes, which can be very severe.

The queue for right-hand turning vehicles is also forecast to grow as traffic increases, and this will add to the potential for rear-end collisions.

With funds to be allocated in the coming Budget, my Department will now consider options to deliver the best outcome.

Previously, a roundabout has been proposed as these can reduce the severity of crashes by reducing speeds, but traffic signals will also be considered.

While reducing serious crashes is our major objective, in line with our Towards Zero goal of no deaths or serious injuries on our roads, this upgrade should also improve traffic flow.

The project demonstrates that only a strong, stable, majority Liberal Government can Build Tasmania’s Future.