South East Traffic Solution
The South East Traffic Solution aims to help maintain the liveability of Sorell and the southern beaches by improving travel time reliability and safety through a more efficient and safer road network.
About the South East Traffic Solution program
The Sorell area is leading population growth in Tasmania’s south, increasing at nearly three times the rate of the whole state. With that growth comes increasing pressures on the transport system. This leads to traffic congestion and reduced travel time reliability at peak times for those travelling between the southern beaches (including Dodges Ferry and Carlton), Sorell and Hobart.
Further pressure on the local road network is generated by strong growth in tourist traffic, with Sorell at the junction of the Tasman Highway and Arthur Highway, carrying through-traffic on the Great Eastern Drive from the north, and from Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula in the south-east.
The South East Traffic Solution is a short- and medium-term Tasmanian Government vision that recognises the need to preserve the lifestyle attractions of Sorell and the southern beaches as commuter satellite communities.
The following four projects have been completed under the South East Traffic Solution
- Arthur Highway Overtaking Lane - an overtaking lane has been constructed on the Arthur Highway south of Iron Creek Bridge.
- Midway Point Intersection Solution - the Tasman Highway roundabout at Penna Road has been replaced with a signalised intersection.
- Sorell Southern Bypass - a bypass has been built between the Tasman Highway near Giblin Drive intersection and the Arthur Highway near Nugent Road.
- Hobart Airport Interchange Upgrade - the Tasman Highway roundabout at Holyman Avenue and Kennedy Drive has been replaced with a new highway bridge (flyover), ramps and roundabouts, safely separating highway and airport traffic and allowing highway traffic to pass this area at higher speed.
Two more projects have been committed for delivery through the South East Traffic Solution
- Tasman Highway - Hobart Airport to Midway Point Causeway - two additional lanes linking the Midway Point Causeway with the new Hobart Airport Interchange, a signalised intersection at Pittwater Road and service roads to provide safe access to Tasmania Golf Club and Barilla Bay Oysters.
- Duplication of Midway Point and Sorell Causeways - Widening both causeways to two lanes each way, and duplicating McGees Bridge, to provide four continuous through lanes along the Tasman Highway from the Tasmania Golf Club to Midway Point to Sorell.
1. Timing
| Project | Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Arthur Highway Overtaking Lane | Completed, March 2020 |
| Midway Point Intersection Solution | Completed, July 2022 |
| Sorell Southern Bypass | Completed, April 2023 |
| Hobart Airport Interchange | Complete, June 2023 |
| Hobart Airport to Midway Point Causeway* | Estimated construction start: 2025 |
| Midway Point and Sorell Causeway Duplication* | Estimated construction start: Late-2025 |
*Project impacts significant and complex environmental matters. The management of the environment at this location is subject to Australian and Tasmanian Government approvals. Timeframes are indicative and may be further changed to meet the Australian and Tasmanian regulators’ assessment processes currently underway.
2. Background
Recent community consultation
2025
From 11 February 2025 until 11 March 2025 the community provided feedback on the Midway Point and Sorell Causeways Upgrade design.
You can view our interactive map here: engage.stategrowth.tas.gov.au/tasman-highway-duplication-midway-point-causeway
A consultation report will be published to the project webpage once available.
2022
In March 2022 we asked the community for feedback on the Midway Point and Sorell causeways.
The proposed Midway Point causeway upgrade includes a duplicated causeway (increasing the causeway from two to four lanes) and a new bridge to the north of McGees bridge, while the existing Sorell causeway would also be widened to four traffic lanes.
Both upgrades will include shared walking and cycling paths, and access for recreational fishing will also be retained on McGees Bridge.
A copy of the Community Consultation and Feedback report can be viewed here.
Further consultation with the community is planned to occur during early 2025.
2019
In Mid-2019 we asked the community for their feedback on options for:
The first consultation period closed on 28 June 2019. You can view a summary of all the feedback received: Consultation Summary - South East Traffic Solution 2019
After that consultation, we reviewed the community feedback and worked with key stakeholders to draft a revised design for the Hobart Airport to Midway Point Causeway project.
The design was available for public comment in December 2019.
You can view the consultation report for this project here: Hobart Airport Interchange to Midway Point Causeway Stakeholder and Community Feedback Report.
More information, including key issues raised during the consultation and our response, is in the Project Update (DOCX 1.2 MB).
Contact
Please email causewayduplication@stategrowth.tas.gov.au