New traffic signals will be installed at the Olinda Grove roundabout at Mount Nelson, after peak-hour queues on the Southern Outlet off-ramp have been banking back onto the highway.
Construction starts on Tuesday and is expected to be finished by July.
The signals will sit on the Mount Nelson approach to the roundabout and will only kick in when sensors detect queuing on the Hobart-bound off-ramp.
When activated, traffic from Mount Nelson will be held for up to 90 seconds to let vehicles clear the off-ramp and move through the roundabout.
The signals will only operate during periods of high demand and will not affect traffic at quieter times.
The problem has been building during morning peaks, when vehicles trying to exit the Southern Outlet towards Olinda Grove queue along the off-ramp.
At times, those queues stretch back into the left northbound lane of the highway, creating delays and increasing crash risk.
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent said the signals would make a practical difference.
“The new traffic signals will make everyday travel easier for locals,” she said.
Traffic monitoring cameras will also go in on Olinda Grove and near Proctors Road to help manage conditions in real time and speed up responses to incidents.
The state government is putting in $985,000, with the Hobart City Council contributing $150,000.
