“Not fit for purpose” is how Break O’Day Mayor Mick Tucker has described a key east coast route, despite years of planning and government commitments to improve roads in the region.
Tucker, who also leads the Local Government Association of Tasmania, said the road connecting St Marys to St Helens was a vital gateway to the state’s east coast that had been repeatedly surveyed but never upgraded.
“We have roads that come from the bottom of St Marys to St Helens, to be quite frank, [that] are not fit for purpose,” he told ABC Radio this week.
“And whilst I understand the government’s doing a lot of great things and we’ve seen that in St Helens just recently, asphalting the centre of our town [that] was really breaking up bad.”
“But the actual access into St Helens from St Marys, it really needs upgrading, updating and the roads widening.”
Tucker said plenty of work had been done on the route “but nothing’s ever occurred”.
Infrastructure Minister Kerry Vincent said the state government was looking at options to improve Esk Main Road.
“Options are currently being investigated to improve the Esk Main Road connection between St Marys and the Tasman Highway due to a history of slope instability and road closures,” Vincent told Pulse.
“It is a complex piece of work and I look forward to providing further updates as this work progresses.”
Vincent pointed to broader east coast improvements, with $125 million allocated for Tasman Highway upgrades and further widening planned for 2026.
Three major projects are underway at various stages.
The Apsley package, currently under construction between Bicheno and Coles Bay Road, will deliver a Hobart-bound overtaking lane, along with road widening and corner realignments at crash hotspots.
The $18.5 million upgrade is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
The $4.5 million Triabunna package will widen and realign a 1.3-kilometre stretch north of the town.
Design work has begun on the largest project – a $41.4 million upgrade covering a 13-kilometre section between Pontypool and Rocky Hills, north of Little Swanport.
The government is planning how to spend the remaining $60.6 million on additional highway improvements.
