Transport studies and reports

We completed desktop investigations into the feasibility of two potential road upgrades:

• Capacity and safety improvements to the East Derwent Highway between Grass Tree Hill Road and the East Derwent Highway roundabout (“Shones Corner”) and the Bowen Bridge, also known as the Bowen Bridge Eastern Connector.
• Construction of a “Flagstaff Gully Link Road” which would connect the Tasman Highway at the Mornington interchange through to the East Derwent Highway.

Our studies show that the projects do not currently offer value for money in terms of benefits to the community and therefore should not proceed.

pitt&sherry was engaged to undertake a feasibility study for an eastern bypass of the City of Launceston.

Launceston Eastern Bypass Feasibility Study March 2022

In March 2019, the Tasmanian Government announced that it would investigate alternative traffic routes through Hobart considering all options including bypass roads and tunnels. A comprehensive feasibility study examining options for a Hobart Western Bypass has now been completed by consultants GHD.

View the Hobart Western Bypass Feasibility Study Summary Report here.

The Department of State Growth has requested that pitt&sherry investigate the feasibility of sealing the Western Explorer as well as the 24 kilometre section of the Corinna Developmental Road from Savage River to Corinna.

View the Western Explorer Feasibility Study here.

The Congestion and Reliability Review measures the levels of congestion across major cities in Australia and New Zealand and identifies the key causes of congestion.

View the Congestion and Reliability Review here.

This report summarises the findings of the prefeasibility assessment for the relocation of the existing intermodal freight handling facility from the centre of Launceston to a new location close to existing road and rail freight linkages in Northern Tasmania.

View the Prefeasibility Study into the Relocation of Launceston Intermodal here.

We are seeking to understand the potential costs involved in sealing the Wielangta Road Corridor between the Arthur Highway Copping and Northern Access to Rheban Road Orford and have completed an options analysis and concept design.  For the purpose of the project, the Wielangta Road Corridor consists of the following road sections:

• Kellevie Road – from Bream Creek Road to the Arthur Highway at Copping
• Bream Creek Road – from Kellevie Road junction to Wielangta Road; and
• Wielangta Road – from Bream Creek Road junction to Rheban Road.

The project required investigation and design to establish the construction work that would be required for two cross section options:

• A 6.0m wide seal with 1.0m unsealed shoulders; and
• A 5.5m wide seal with 0.3m unsealed shoulders.

Investigation of the cross sections options has been limited to only those sections of the Wielangta Road Corridor that are currently unsealed. Development of the designs has been informed by a topographic survey model that has been developed using Mobile Laser Scanning.

The alternative options include:

• Option 1 – Nominal 6.0m wide seal with curve widening, sealing of existing unsealed sections only – length 27.70km, 0.5m unsealed shoulders
• Option 2 - Nominal 6.0m wide seal with curve widening, sealing of existing unsealed sections only between Earlham Road and Rheban Road – length 8.89km, 0.5m unsealed shoulders
• Option 3 - Nominal 5.5m wide seal with curve widening, sealing of existing unsealed sections only – length 27.70km, 0.3m unsealed shoulders; and
• Option 4 - Nominal 5.5m wide seal with curve widening, sealing of existing unsealed sections only between Earlham Road and Rheban Road – length 8.89km, 0.3m unsealed shoulders.

Cost estimates for the various options have been developed based on earthworks and pavement quantities extracted from the three-dimensional models and drawings. A desktop geology assessment was undertaken to estimate the likely extent of excavation in rock required.  It was assumed that excess material can be disposed of within a nominal distance of 10km of the area in which the material is excavated.

A deterministic approach to the allocation of contingency was adopted for the cost estimates with 20% contingency applied to establish P50 costs and 30% contingency applied to establish P90 costs. Cost escalation of 5% was applied to all costs over a period of three years.

A summarised table of the estimated costs is provided in Table 1.

The cost estimates do not include allowance for replacement of bridge structures. Accordingly existing bridge structures which can only accommodate a single lane of traffic would be retained, as would existing timber and corrugated iron culverts.

Consideration should be given to replacement of Griffiths Rivulet Bridge and Seventeen Acre Creek Bridge.  The estimated cost to replace these bridges is $2.4M at a P90 level of contingency.

If only the existing unsealed sections of Wielangta Road are sealed, there is potential for the additional traffic that would use the road both during and post construction to cause premature deterioration of the existing sealed sections. If this approach is adopted, it is recommended that an additional allowance of $1M/km or $7M at the P90 level is included for rehabilitation of existing sealed sections of pavement.

Should replacement of Griffiths Rivulet and Seventeen Acre Creek Bridge be undertaken and allowance for pavement rehabilitation of the existing sealed sections be included, the P90 cost to provide a 6.0m seal would be $89.4M and to provide a 5.5m seal would be $74.4M.

As the Wielangta Road is not owned by the Department of State Growth, consultation will be required with the current road owners. Sealing of the road will also require development applications to be submitted to the Sorell and Glamorgan Spring Bay Councils. There is also potential for a Reserve Activity Assessment to be required for works undertaken on sections of the road managed by Parks and Wildlife Service.

Desktop investigations indicate that a flora and fauna survey will be required as well as Aboriginal heritage investigations. Based on the environmental values identified through the desktop assessment it is likely that upgrading of the road suitable for sealing would require an EPBC referral and a Permit to Take.  Sealing of the Wielangta Road is not likely to impact on any properties of historic heritage significance.

The decision regarding whether to seal the Wielangta Road is dependent on objectives. Two potential objectives to seal the Wielangta Road are:

• To provide a new tourist route between the Tasman Peninsula and the East Coast; and/ or
• To provide an alternative transport route in the event that the Tasman Highway between Sorell and Orford needs to be closed in the future (i.e. provide infrastructure resilience).

Should the objective of sealing the Wielangta Road be to provide a new tourist route, then it is appropriate to undertake the following works:

• Seal the entire length
• Replace Griffiths Rivulet Bridge and Seventeen Acre Creek Bridge
• Rehabilitate sections of Kellevie Road, Bream Creek Road and the existing sealed sections of Wielangta Road that would likely deteriorate during construction works; and
• Replace the remaining bridge structures north of Earlham Road in the medium term.

The estimated cost of these works is $91.4M of which $89.4M would need to be spent up front.

Should the objective be to provide an alternative transport route to the Tasman Highway then the following works may be appropriate:

• Seal the road between chainage 10900 and 18040 (a distance of 7.14km)
• Replace Griffiths Rivulet Bridge and Seventeen Acre Creek Bridge
• Rehabilitate sections of Kellevie Road, Bream Creek Road and the existing sealed sections of Wielangta Road that would likely deteriorate during construction works; and
• Replace the remaining bridge structures north of Earlham Road in the medium term.

The estimated cost of these works is $32.1M of which $30.1M would need to be spent up front.

The State of our Roads 2015 report provides a summary of the data and trends relating to the condition, use and performance of the State road network at 1 July 2015.

View the State of our Roads 2015