Transit Lane Connector
The new Transit Lane Connector will ease the bottleneck between Davey and Macquarie Streets by adding a new lane.
About the project
The Transit Lane Connector project will add an extra lane at the bottom of the Southern Outlet and between Davey Street and Macquarie Street, connecting to the new clearway on Macquarie Street, and easing the bottleneck.
Construction of the Transit Lane Connector will start in July 2024 and will take around eight months to complete, weather permitting.
Nearby residents and businesses may hear our construction work during the night. We will try to complete the noisiest work before 11:00 pm but there will be noise during our working hours of 6:30 pm to 6:30 am each night, Sunday night through to Friday morning.
The Transit Lane Connector will connect to the new extended clearway on Macquarie Street. Once the Southern Outlet Transit Lane is complete, starting from Olinda Grove, the Transit Lane Connector will be converted to a T3 lane, to be used by private vehicles carrying three or more people, buses, taxis, motorbikes and emergency service vehicles.
The Transit Lane Connector is part of the Southern Projects, a suite of coordinated transport projects focussed on providing safer and more reliable travel options between Hobart’s growing southern suburbs and the CBD.
What we are doing
The Transit Lane Connector will add an extra lane at the bottom of the Southern Outlet between Davey Street and Macquarie Street. The operation of the intersection of the Southern Outlet with Macquarie Street and Davey Street will remain the same.
An extra lane will be added on the left side of the Southern Outlet on the inbound approach to the intersection of Davey Street. Existing traffic islands will be moved and replaced.
The Southern Outlet will be widened on the right side between Davey Street and Macquarie Street to allow for an extra lane through this recognised bottleneck.
The existing traffic barrier and footpath on the right side will be removed and replaced and a new retaining wall will be built. The footpath on the left side will remain in its existing condition.
This section of the Southern Outlet between Davey Street and Macquarie Streets, and the surrounding intersections, will be resurfaced.
This map below shows the location of the new lane.
Traffic impacts
During construction hours (6:30 pm to 6:30 am each night, Sunday night through to Friday morning) there may be some impact to traffic with lane closures, detours and reduced speed limits.
More information will be provided to nearby properties by the contractor before construction starts and throughout the project.
Community consultation
Community consultation finished in September 2021 for the Southern Outlet Transit Lane and the Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements.
You can read more about the community consultation here: Southern Projects Consultation and Feedback Summary Report and here Kingborough Park and Ride Facilities Fact Sheet.
Timing
Construction of the Transit Lane Connector will start in July 2024 and will take around eight months to complete, weather permitting.
The working hours will be 6:30 pm to 6:30 am each night, Sunday night through to Friday morning.
1Timeline
We are timing these works to minimise traffic impacts and make sure we aren’t working on too many sections at the same time.
Tender advertised for Macquarie and Davey Street Bus Improvements
October 2023Tenders advertised for Transit Lane Connector between Davey and Macquarie Streets
Late 2023Work starts on Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements
January 2024Tenders awarded for Transit Lane Connector
Mid 2024Work finishes on Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements
Mid 2024Construction starts on Transit Lane Connector between Macquarie and Davey Streets
July 2024Tenders advertised for rockface protection works on the Southern Outlet
mid to late 2024Major construction starts on Southern Outlet Transit lane
20252FAQs
Will these works be noisy?
Yes. Nearby residents and businesses may hear our construction work during the night. We will try to complete the noisiest work before 11:00 pm but there will be noise during our working hours of 6:30 pm to 6:30 am each night, Sunday night through to Friday morning.
Can I catch a bus during construction?
Yes. Public transport will still operate during construction.
Why can’t this work be done during the day?
The Southern Outlet between Kingston and Hobart carries one of the highest daily traffic volumes on our State’s road network. We are working at night to ensure traffic can flow during the day.
Will I be able to access my property during nightworks?
Yes. Traffic controllers will help you access your property during construction hours.
Will any trees or vegetation be removed?
Yes. An extra lane will be added on the left side of the Southern Outlet on the inbound approach to the intersection of Davey Street. Some vegetation and trees within the road reserve will be removed to make room for the new lane (see image below). Landscaping, including replanting of trees and vegetation, will happen once construction is complete.
Will parking spaces be removed?
Yes. A section of permit parking will be removed on the left side of Macquarie Street between the intersections of the Southern Outlet and Gore Street, connecting the new lane to the extended Macquarie Street peak period clearway (see image below). Permit parking and short-term parking is available on side streets off Macquarie Street, including Gore Street, Ispahan Avenue, Warneford Street and Denison Lane.
Does this project include acquisition?
We have acquired land from two properties to enable us to build the project.
What are the Southern Projects?
The Southern Projects are a suite of coordinated transport projects focused on providing safer and more reliable travel options between Hobart’s growing southern suburbs and the CBD.
The Southern Projects will provide an end-to-end solution that will improve traffic flow and make bus travel more attractive to commuters. They include park and ride facilities at Huntingfield and Firthside, the extension of a peak hour clearway, cycling and bus improvements on Macquarie and Davey Streets, the Southern Outlet Transit Lane to improve access for public transport and emergency services, and construction of an extra lane on the Southern Outlet between Davey and Macquarie Streets (Transit Lane Connector).
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact the project team on 1800 879 119 or email transitlaneconnector@stategrowth.tas.gov.au