The long-awaited Mornington roundabout upgrade has taken a small step forward, with Infrastructure Minister Kerry Vincent confirming design work is progressing on two key elements of the $100 million project.
Vincent said there has been agreement with Clarence City Council on the Gordon’s Hill Road on-ramp.
Designers are also working through minor changes to a second off-ramp to prevent potential flooding onto nearby properties during heavy rain events.
“They’re also working at the moment on design for the slip road to come off when you coming in from Mount Rumney that slips in past the Mornington Inn to take some pressure off the roundabout,” he said.
Vincent said the ramps are expected to go out to tender later this year, with construction to start around June 2027.
The federal government has committed $80 million to the project, with the state contributing $20 million.
Federal Minister Julie Collins has previously accused the state government of dragging its feet on the upgrade, calling it one of Tasmania’s worst roundabouts.
Speaking on Tuesday, Collins said “I think we all want it finished”.
The project forms part of a broader four-project program for the Mornington area identified in a traffic study conducted between 2021 and 2024.
The first stage involves building new ramps at Gordon’s Hill Road to ease pressure on the roundabout before the intersection is eventually converted to traffic lights.
Vincent has previously acknowledged maintaining traffic flow during construction will be a major challenge given it is one of the busiest intersections in southern Tasmania.
The upgrade has been a flashpoint between federal and state politicians, with Collins previously saying the project “has had more updates than an iPhone and every single one has been a further delay”.
Vincent hit back at those claims earlier this year, pointing to federal environment laws as the cause of delays on other major Tasmanian road projects.
