Hobart Area Transportation Study

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Congestion on the Brooker Highway at Montrose during roadworks to upgrade the Elwick Rd and Howard Rd intersections between early 2016 and mid-2017.

The Hobart Area Transportation Study was a comprehensive transport plan released in 1965 for the purpose of examining the transport needs of the Australian Hobart metropolitan area over the proceeding 20 years. The study predicted the majority of the proposed traffic corridors would need to be operational by the 1985 target year.

Ultimately, the majority of the study's recommendations were brought to fruition in some form or another. Sections of Hobart's three major radial highways—the

freeway
designs.

History

From the advent of the

vehicles registered had increased to almost 40,000 in the Hobart Area. The influx of motor vehicles in and around Hobart placed a great burden on the road system as it then existed.[1]

In 1963, the Department of Public Works, the Transport Commission and

Hobart City Council initiated the first urban transportation study conducted in Australia. The Study was undertaken by US transportation and infrastructure consulting firm Wilbur Smith and Associates[2] during the years 1963 and 1964, and the findings and suggestions were published in 1965.[1][3]

Application

The Hobart Area Transport study area was to encompass Hobart's estimated metropolitan boundary in 1985 which extended as far as Granton in the north; Sorell to the east; Howrah to the south east; and Kingston to the south west.[1]

The study was engaged through detailed surveys from the public, analysing traffic statistics and analysing past traffic trends, in an attempt to predict traffic patterns in Hobart with a target year of 1985 – 20 years from the time of publication.[1]

Publication of the Study

The Hobart area Transportation Study proposed the construction of four

Hobart CBD. The study also encouraged greater use of roads through public and private transport and discouraged the use of Hobart's passenger train services as a primary mode of Transport in the city.[1] The study acknowledged the capital costs of the proposed Freeways would be too much for the Tasmanian government to undertake alone, but suggested the possibility of Australian Government assistance if pursued.[1]
The study was composed of the following principle segments:

Proposals made by this study
Side of River Name Image Purpose Status Built Notes
Western Shore
Northside Freeway
 — Inner city Freeway Abandoned — A proposed Link north of the
Hobart CBD extending from the Southern Outlet at Davey Street via the foothills of West Hobart, crossing the Brooker Highway between Melville and Brisbane Streets, and extending through the Queens Domain to the Tasman Highway.[4] Termed the Northside Freeway, its function was intended to relieve local streets of excess traffic. The Northside Freeway was proposed to be a fully grade separated Freeway. Momentum for this Freeway stalled which has resulted in other proposals for a Hobart Bypass.[4][5]
Davey Street Inner city
couplet
 Complete 1987 A recommended connection to join the
Hobart CBD to the Tasman Highway. At the time the study was released, Hobart CBD's roads were all two way with no direct way to get between the Tasman Highway/Brooker Highway and the Southern Outlet. The construction of the Sheraton
was the catalyst for the new couplet road system. By this time the need for a viaduct over the rail yards had diminished as that section of the rail yards had fallen into disuse.
Macquarie Street
Grosvenor Expressway — Sandy Bay Link Abandoned — The Grosvenor Expressway was proposed to commence at Sandy Bay Road (Lord Street) and travel towards the Northside Freeway connecting with the Freeway near Liverpool Street. This bypass route was designed with the intention of alleviating traffic from Sandy Bay Road.[1]
Domain Freeway ? City Bypass Complete
(highway) 		? This proposal was suggested to be a limited access route parallel to the
At-grade intersections
.
Brooker Highway Northern Radial Partially Complete

(Only 4 lanes)

1954 onwards At the time of the study's release, parts of the Brooker Highway were already operational. This study proposed that the highway be expanded to a six-lane divided Highway extending from a connection with the Northside Freeway north to
Goodwood Roads, Main Road, Berriedale Road, Claremont Link Road, and Abbotsfield Roads.[1]
The extension to Granton was completed as a four-lane divided Highway from Berriedale, however the grade separation proposal for the southern section of the Highway has not been addressed with several new traffic lights installed since this plan was released.
Southern Outlet Freeway Southern Radial Complete
(highway) 		1969 Onwards Sections of the Southern Outlet were already under construction as a two-lane expressway at the time of the study's release. The study recommended construction of a four-lane divided highway to connect to the Huon Highway and also proposed bypassing Kingston.[1] Today, the Southern Outlet is a grade-separated dual carriageway highway for its entire length between Davey Street, Hobart and the Kingston Interchange.

The

road network within Kingston by diverting through traffic around the town.[6] While this bypass has only been constructed as a two-lane expressway, The transport corridor it passes through has been designed to cater for future expansion.[7]

Kingston Bypass
Eastern Shore Southeastern Freeway — Southern Radial Abandoned — The Southeastern Freeway was proposed to travel from Rosny Hill To Howrah running Parallel to Clarence Street.[1] However, this Highway was deemed to be unrealistic in that it was too expensive and would have come in close proximity to Schools and other vital services. The idea of this Arterial road was a product of the "Hobart Transport Revision", released several years later.[3] This new proposal entailed construction of a Bellerive Bypass,[3] which was constructed to avoid already developed land.
Bellerive Bypass Complete 1989
Eastern Outlet Freeway
 Eastern Radial Complete
to
Airport

(highway) 		1964 Onwards The Eastern Outlet (known today as the Tasman Highway) was proposed to extend as a Freeway from Rosny Hill to Sorell.[1] The construction of this Freeway was not believed to be warranted before 1985.[1] The Tasman Highway's construction has been influenced by this study with bypasses constructed at Warrane, Mornington and Cambridge since the publication of this study. Additionally the Tasman Highway has also been duplicated to the Hobart Airport since the study's release.
Tasman Bridge Complete Upon the release of this study, The Tasman Bridge had only recently replaced the Hobart Bridge as the primary River Derwent crossing, and it was perceived that more traffic would make use of the new bridge than first estimated. The study proposed the duplication of the Tasman bridge.[1] However the Tasman Bridge disaster occurred not long after this plan was released and it was then decided to upgrade the existing bridge rather than duplicate it.[3]
Lindisfarne Road Northern Radial (eastern shore) Complete 1964 Onwards Lindisfarne Road (known today as the East Derwent Highway) was (at the time of this study) proposed to service the immediate suburbs on the eastern shore to North of the Tasman Bridge. The Tasman Bridge disaster made apparent the need for an alternate river crossing further North,[3] and thus this road was partially upgraded and in the southern sections constructed from scratch north of Geilston Bay. The northbound highway exists parallel to the river all the way to its conclusion at Bridgewater.

While not directly proposed at the time of this study's publication, further investigation of the area as a potential river crossing was suggested. The Bowen Bridge is a 4 Lane Bridge located 8 km upstream of the Tasman Bridge.[3] Due to the distance from the city and the lack of development on the eastern shore at this location, the bridge is currently underutilised. With this said when the bridge is relied upon due unforeseen circumstances on the Tasman Bridge it fails to live up to its expectations due to inadequate connecting road infrastructure of the eastern shore.

Bowen Bridge Complete 1984
None of the proposals were completed as freeways

Estimates

The Hobart Area Transportation study was also released with estimates of daily Traffic of the proposals for the Target year of 1985.[1]

See also

Melbourne:

Adelaide:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Hobart Area Transportation Study. Hobart, Tasmania: Wilbur Smith and Associates. 1965.
  2. ISBN 9780643096981
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f Hobart Transport Revision. Hobart, Tasmania: Department of Public Works. 1970.
  4. ^ a b "The city bypass that stalled". The Mercury. 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Streets switch sparks divide". The Mercury. 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Kingston bypass opens". The Mercury. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  7. ^
    Government of Tasmania
    . 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Kingston Bypass Bridges" (PDF). VEC Civil Engineering. 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  9. ^ "Urban Traffic Planning in Hobart 2007". John Livermore Enterprises. 2007. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Kingston & Environs Transport Study" (PDF). Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.

External links

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