The breakdown of a truck on the Tasman Bridge this morning has sparked questions about the potential for stadium-related traffic congestion in Hobart.
The incident on Wednesday caused significant delays during peak hour, with Independent MP Miriam Beswick suggesting similar gridlock could occur when large crowds attend events at Macquarie Point.
“How can anyone have confidence that we’ll reliably be able to get people to a stadium at Macquarie Point?” she asked in Parliament.
“How do you plan to avoid having an empty stadium for the first quarter of matches because fans are stuck in gridlock?”
Transport Minister Eric Abetz said that even with the best planning, “unfortunate vicissitudes” occur.
“Unfortunately, these things happen and with all the best will in the world, even with a 2030 Strong Plan, a government cannot stop a truck breaking down on the bridge,” he said.
“All I would encourage every truck owner to do is make sure their truck is serviced as well as possible to ensure that if they break down, they don’t do it on the Tasman Bridge.”
He said a “comprehensive transport plan” will be in place for the stadium, including a ferry system across the River Derwent, public transport and the northern suburbs corridor.
“That is why we are looking at all opportunities and possibilities to ensure that the patronage is able to get to that stadium as efficiently as possible,” he said.
“Keeping in mind that with stadiums of this nature around Australia, most of the people actually walk to it from the hotels where they stay or from the parking stations that are in the city.”
